A Bitterne Park resident has proposed altering the traffic light sequencing at the St Denys Road and Thomas Lewis Way junction to help ease current congestion.
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As previously noted here and here, the closure of a westbound lane on the railway bridge has caused a virtually perpetual daytime traffic queue through St Denys since early last December.
The suggestion from the resident, who didn’t want to be named, is to temporarily change the light phasing so that westbound queuing vehicles can turn left at the same time as being allowed to turn right/go straight ahead.
They recommended to the council: “The pinch point is the railway bridge where, due to subsidence, two lanes have been reduced to one. The present phasing of the lights keeps the left turn and the straight ahead/right turn distinct. Even during the day the queue can extend across Cobden Bridge to the Triangle.
“Life must be very difficult for people who live along St Denys Road who have to put up with this constant nuisance. There is also the matter of exhaust fumes from idling vehicles adjacent to St Denys School - is it acceptable for children to breathe in quantities of air pollution during the week?”
They also suggested that people who live to the east of the river “have felt more cut off from the western part of the city ever since the subsidence problem arose nearly six months ago”.
The continuation of repair work, according to May 1 Network Rail ‘stakeholder’ comms, has been complicated by the agreement of a diversion route for cables spanning the collapsed footway.
However ‘Heads of terms’ between NR, Scottish & Southern Electricity Networks and the city council were about to be entered into, NR suggested at the start of the month
Portswood councillor Katherine Barbour (Green) said that there was "little new to report", but agreed that “The Primary school At St Denys has stationary traffic outside it for much of the day which is increasing the air pollution that pupils are subject to.”
“This must be speedily addressed” she added,
She also noted on social media on Monday (May 20) that “there appears to have been a further collapse of the pavement by the crossing and the yellow ramp is broken”.
Her post was swiftly followed by resident comments expressing concerns over the structure of the bridge given the length of time it has taken for repairs.
Work is still listed as potentially running until August 2 on one.network.
