Broad Lane / A45 Junction

Did you know that the Council wants to do away with the lights at the junction of Broad Lane and the A45 and replace them with an island like it once was. I use that junction frequently and have done for many years and although I have heard of one accident there I have always found the junction safe and easy to use. So here are the views of some that use the junction.

Use the junction all the time, as a motorist and pedestrian. It works absolutely fine. As they're putting lights on the roundabout this is an admission straight away it won't work - the whole point of an island is to do away with lights. There'll be more sets of lights at the island than there are now possibly. If you take the island down by canley fire station - if you're trying to get out by the Homebase at rush hour its impossible because there's just a constant stream of traffic going down the A45. Broad Lane is used to a much greater degree than that road so I can see ridiculous tailbacks on it, or people choosing a completely different route altogether because of it. Given the state of the roads in Whoberley/Allesley they are a much bigger need (they were only done a few years ago but the work was totally shoddy and began getting potholes along the centre joins within six months, and then get refilled only to appear again as soon as there is a decent frost. The council keeps on saying how it fills in thousands of potholes, but there actually just filling in the same ones over and over again. Frankly, I'd be suing the contractors to do the job again, and this time do it PROPERLY!

Some junctions are certainly better with roundabouts than traffic lights. The Broad Lane/A45 one doesn't spring to mind as the best contender for changing, I have to say. What I find intensely irritating is having a roundabout with several sets of traffic lights around it. This can create utter chaos and congestion when a simple roundabout would work fine, such as the one near Gallagher Park & Sainsburys. For some reason Coventry are some of the worst culprits for this.

There is some mention of this junction in this thread

Madness - that junction is far too large for an island. Agreed D_Di - gets me really irritated the current trend to add traffic lights around islands...... Really causes congestion - the island by IKEA is terrible for this.

I am unable to see how traffic from Buckingham Rise can enter the roundabout Magic Roundabout.

The plan shows an access point close to the end of Lyndale Road for traffic from Buckingham Rise. It is not currently planned as a slip road but simply a slightly angled junction where drivers will have to spot a gap in the southbound traffic from Birmingham and cross two lanes if they want to turn right onto the outer section of Broad Lane. I think that it is a recipe for serious accidents. Although the proposal is to cut the speed limit at that point from 60 mph to 40 mph, this clearly will not guarantee that vehicles from Birmingham will not be doing in excess of 40 mph as they approach the access road. At peak times, I think that it is likely that two lanes of traffic will back up to beyond the proposed access and make it impossible for drivers to join the A45. None of this seemed to be taken on board by those sent to explain the plan at the public drop-in sessions.

Thanks for reply Charabanc...You may remember that some years ago there was a link between Buckingham Rise and the A45 near Lyndale Rd, I used it frequently. This was closed following the deaths of two children who tried to cross the A45 at that point. Perhaps the designer of this stupid scheme has forgotten that.

I have to agree Norman Conquest, the opening through the hedge for the service road to enter the A45, is so close to the houses, what if a young child should manage to get out of the house/garden, within a few steps it could get onto that main road. After those children were killed, the council put fencing up on both sides of the A45, to stop people/children from taking a "short-cut".

The A45 needs replacing with either a proper 'highway' or re-routing so it goes around the urban area (Both expensive). Local and through traffic don't mix well.

Have you been down to the island near the fire station on the A45? Went down there this morning from Allesley. Approaching the island I occupied the right hand lane for the last 50 yards or so. At the island I was confronted by new road markings, two lanes to turn right toward Cannon Park. Snap decision so joined the lane closest to the island, other motorists, just as confused as I were selecting either lane. Round the island there is only one lane so with some horn blowing we sorted ourselves out.. There some traffic lights on the island now so when they are working it should be easier to get out from Homebase.

I remember the link in to Buckingham Rise well Norman - as a schoolboy at Woodlands we used it well and I knew of one of the lads that was killed there....

I don't remember either of the children that were killed there but we knew the mother of one child. She lived on the Whoberley Estate, a blonde woman that left the area shortly afterwards. I have little doubt that opening up that fence will eventually lead to another childs death. The planners must be totally insane.

Death trap! And the queues are longer than ever.

Drivers fear possible deaths As a cyclist it sounds scary and dangerous. I haven't been that way for quite a few weeks, before it was ruined, but having been crossing the junction for years, when it was all controlled by lights, it felt safe as it was.