Opinion : Do you think the new road layout in West Wycombe Road is an improvement?

Once upon a time motorists could whiz through Wycombe and traffic hold-ups were virtually unknown. Then the roundabouts were replaced by traffic lights and that’s when the tailbacks started.

For the past few weeks highway engineers have been busily working on the A40 West Wycombe Road making preparations for the roundabout with the Westbourne Street Link Road which forms part of a traffic ‘Masterplan’.

Now we can see the result of their work. What was once dual carriage way has been converted into a single file traffic jam with a large amount of wasted space between the up and down carriageways.

Already the queues are building, the sound of hooting car horns fills the air, red brake lights are illuminated signifying a failure to keep the traffic moving and the smell of petrol fumes hang over the area from all the stationary vehicles.

What a mess the ‘Masterplan’ is turning out to be and only the first few feet of road has been constructed.

As for the roundabout (pictured above), well, vehicles can (and are) driving straight over it. It’s as effective as a chocolate tea pot.

In fact to look at the roundabout it bears a worrying resemblance to the massive failure that was the last incarnation of the Frogmoor fountain and we all know what a farce that turned out to be.

It seems no expense is being spared on this project indeed the street lights have the words ‘W Wycombe Road’ embellished into them. I haven’t viewed them after dark but I have a sneaky suspicion the wording lights up too (please accept my apologies if my good self is wrong on this point).

By George! Such frivolity with wording in the lamp posts must surely rank as one of the worst wastes of Council Tax Payers money seen so far in the town.

Ever since it’s inception your humble servant has said that the ‘Masterplan’ would be bad for Wycombe and I fear my good self is about to be proven right.

The old road layout with it’s dual carriage way was far better then the newfangled rubbish that has just been constructed. Unless vehicles can move freely in the town then business will not thrive and the town will die economically.

Optimistically there was a portable road sign saying ’20 mph’ plonked beside the new stretch of road. 20 mph? With the jams that have built up vehicles are unlikely to get anywhere near that speed.

Those who thought out the ‘disaster plan’ can now see what a mess the scheme is. The question is will they press ahead and waste more money on the flawed scheme (possibly getting a MBE or a Knighthood for their efforts) or will they have the courage to face their failure and scrap the future works thus saving the economic prosperity of Wycombe?

As the traffic grinds to a halt we have a taste of what the Masterplan will bring to Wycombe. I fear we are doomed….

What do you think?

*My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

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