Let’s hope Earls Island isn’t as bad! (From Halesowen News)

Let’s hope Earls Island isn’t as bad!

11:28am Thursday 28th January 2010

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Well, I think I've seen it all now. Firstly I haven't seen any improvement in the traffic around Grange Island since the work was completed.

In fact this morning at 8.40am, I was nearly put into the side of a bus when I tried to turn right at the island towards Hayley Green when a car from Manor Way decided that either I wasn't there or that I was intending to turn back on myself.

It was hit her, the bus or do an emergency stop mid island!

The lane markings are terrible on the island, nobody sticks to them and there will be an accident there soon.

I then headed up the bypass towards Hayley Green and was amazed at how far back the queue of traffic went, heading for the island and the M5. The queue started about 300m from the Hayley Green Island!! And there were no problems around Grange Island – all other directions were running fine.

Then just 15 minutes later, coming out of Halesowen towards the island from MacDonalds, there was the No. 9 bus. My husband and I thought it odd that the No. 9 would be travelling in the outside lane when its route took it to a bus stop along the road and then turned left up Manor Way. Luckily there was noone waiting at the bus stop, as the driver had no intention of pulling over. We followed the bus right up to the island, where it positioned itself in the middle lane. Imagine our shock, and that of the driver in the inside lane, when it did turn left up Manor Way, cutting up the other car on its way.

The island is worse than it ever was before. Do the pavements around it really need to be that wide? We had assumed that there would be more filter lanes to keep the traffic moving easier but instead the lanes are more restricted and congestion is no better than before. I hope that the work to Earls Island hasn't been planned by the same team.

Nicola Patchett, Halesowen

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