Why traffic gridlock disappeared the day the lights went out
WHEN no fewer than 42 traffic lights were installed at this five-way junction, residents said it turned the area into gridlock misery.
The junction in Beverley, East Yorkshire, where 42 lights were installed to manage the traffic
But when a signal failure turned the lights off, delighted locals said the traffic began running smoothly again within minutes.
Today the lights were still out at Grovehill junction in Beverley, East Yorks, after failing on Tuesday morning, with drivers saying their commute was dramatically improved.
The traffic lights manage nine crossing points at the junction, which replaced a roundabout in February when Beverley’s new bypass opened.
John Hull, on social media, said: “Cannot believe how easy my return home was tonight. If the engineer wants to fix the problem, he should take all the fuses out.”
A signal failure turned the lights off
The traffic has been moving much better than when the lights are on
Peter Robinson, 78, has lived near the junction since 1969 but said the road has been blighted with traffic problems since the lights were put in.
But Peter and his wife Wendy, 73, said traffic was flowing freely minutes after the traffic lights stopped.
The retired butcher said: “The workmen came and got them back on but it didn’t last long.
The traffic has been moving much better than when the lights are on. Everyone seems quite confident going through the junction without the lights.
“I’ve lived on the street for 46 years and it is the worst it has been for traffic since the lights came. The stopping and starting of traffic through the night is a problem for us.
Rock, Paper, Traffic Jam
Resident Terry Fawcett added: “We had a perfectly good roundabout that functioned as a roundabout should, without the need for any lights.”
An East Riding of Yorkshire Council spokesman said they hoped the lights would be working today.
He added: “Grovehill is a major junction in Beverley and the traffic lights are there to ensure the safety of all users of the junction, whether drivers, cyclists or pedestrians.
The lights at the junction caused heavy traffic jams
The council will continue to monitor the junction, as we would with any newly introduced road layout.”