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‘Confusing’ new Fosse Road North layout defended by Leicester …

Council bosses have defended the new layout of a major Leicester road[1] after critics branded it “confusing” and an “accident waiting to happen”. The new Fosse Road North opened last Friday (May 19) after work designed to improve the area and make travel more efficient took place.

But the road, which now boasts a central bus lane and partial filter lane, has created confusion say motorists. Many have called out Leicester City Council[2] for ruining what had been a “perfectly usable road”, with others criticising the width of the two-way cycle lane – a creation that is double the width of the road.

Opposition was seen on city council posts promoting the change, with one critic saying: “Perfect example of how to take a perfectly usable road and create chaos.” A second said: “What in the hell have you done to this road!? Thought you were making it less confusing – not more.”

The Fosse Road North changes form part of the wider improvements[4] to Leicester’s Five Ways Junction with the A50 which is seeing pedestrians and cyclists gaining their own designated lanes. The work is set to cost around £10.8 million when complete, but the confusing new set-up at Fosse Road North has led to accusations of council wasting funds.

One person said: “More room for cyclists and less for us motorists! Yet another fine example of money wasting.” A second said: “Another complete waste of money.”

Fosse Road North in Leicester with a new two-way cycle lane and central bus lane. Changes to the road have been defended by the city council after widespread criticism. The changes are part of the scheme to improve the area around Five Ways Junction. 20/05/2023 See SWNS story SWLNroad. Locals have been left fuming over a council’s confusing new road lanes which cost £10million, saying it looks like a “magic eye picture”. The new markings include a two-way cycle lane and a bus lane in the middle of the road as well as double yellow lines and a path for pedestrians. The work on Fosse Road North in Leicester is part of a major overhaul a main artery into the city costing £10.4million. But it has been branded a “waste of money” by motorists who say it is confusing and could prove risk causing crashes. Leicester City Council received hundreds of comments from furious drivers after they unveiled the new road markings.
Some fear Fosse Road North’s layout could lead to accidents

Others were concerned about safety on the new layout, with one fearing the worst. They said: “So many drivers are going to end up in the bus lane by mistake and the points of merging are going to be awful. Accident waiting to happen.”

However, the city council[5] has defended the layout and said it will improve journeys. Martin Fletcher, Leicester’s highways director, confirmed it complied with current Department for Transport rules.

He said: “The thousands of bus users who use that route every week they are going to see a much-needed benefit in terms of waits. In real terms it isn’t much of a change in terms of traffic flow. The two-way flow is still there; it is still as it was.

“We have just repurposed some of the road space and widened the footpath and roadway to give us that extra width for the bus bypass lane to get to the junction quicker.”

For more traffic and travel stories from across Leicestershire and Rutland, sign up to our newsletters here.[6]

References

  1. ^ new layout of a major Leicester road (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
  2. ^ Leicester City Council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
  3. ^ Man visiting poorly mum films brazen rat walking along Leicester hospital corridor (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
  4. ^ wider improvements (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
  5. ^ city council (www.leicestermercury.co.uk)
  6. ^ sign up to our newsletters here. (data.reachplc.com)

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