Drivers have labelled a hectic junction plagued by impatient and baffled motorists beeping their horns a nightmare, but the council insists it’s working as “best it can”. City residents have voiced their frustration with the five-way junction where the A6514 Western Boulevard/Valley Road meets with Church Street, Vernon Road, and Radford Road in Basford, citing build-ups of traffic and angry drivers.
A busy McDonald’s is located at the junction, and its layout results in frequent road rage and confusion as motorists try to turn in ways they are not allowed to and block others, according to locals. Rob Pierce, 64, who has lived in Basford for decades, said: “It has been fairly quiet since Christmas, because less people are going to work, but on Monday this place will be very busy.
“It’s always been a nightmare. Years ago they put in a filter light for one of the turns and that made it a bit better, but since then nothing has done.”
Ben Clatworthy, 37, who has lived in the area for more than eight years, said: “Drivers have a very small window to get through the lights, only two or three get through and a lot of people end up running red lights. It could really do with another filter light turning right. I think that would make it less hectic. I think people should try to avoid it as it can really be a mess when it’s busy.”
The area could soon get even busier, with 114 build-to-rent homes being built on the former British Gas works on Radford Road close to the junction.
“They really need to put another filter light in so people can turn right – I hate going through here,” another Basford local, who did not want to be named, said. She added: “I avoid this junction as much as I can. I’d rather go the long way round so I don’t have to worry about going through here.
“You get a lot of people who aren’t familiar with the junction coming down the ring road as well, so you get accidents and people shouting and honking at each other.” Motorists have voiced their discontent with the road layout repeatedly in the past, with it being picked out by locals and a driving instructor as one of the city’s trickiest junctions previously.
However, Nottingham City Council leader Neghat Khan, who is responsible for the city’s transport policy, claimed the junction was working as well as possible considering the amount of traffic passing through it. “We have no current plans to make changes to this junction,” Ms Khan said.
“The traffic signals across the city use the latest technology to adapt the amount of green signal time given to ensure that traffic flows as well as possible across the area and this junction operates the best it can, given the amount of traffic and pedestrians.” The council leader asked drivers to be considerate of each other and try to avoid travelling by car at peak times if possible.
She added: “We encourage anyone that can to choose alternative travel modes (i.e. walking, cycling or public transport) or to travel at a different time to avoid the busiest periods but understand that this is not always possible. We hope that everyone will be patient and considerate to the other road users and residents by driving, riding or walking appropriately and safely.”