VIDEO: Canford Bottom junction reopens - but drivers are left confused

5:38pm Tuesday 26th June 2012 in News By Stephen Bailey

LIGHTS: The new Canford Bottom Junction . Picture: Corin Messer LIGHTS: The new Canford Bottom Junction . Picture: Corin Messer

THE first fully open day of the Canford Bottom junction went “pretty much as well as hoped” – although many drivers were left confused.

The former roundabout near Wimborne has been transformed so that the A31 take priority over the local traffic.

The £5.7 million rebuild started on October 10 last year and the junction was fully open for the first time yesterday.

Drivers on local roads heading to Wimborne, Ferndown, Longham and Colehill, now have to negotiate a series of traffic lights and stop lines that circle the A31.

The junction is designed to ‘spiral’ them to the outside lane but there have been several bumps already as people get used to the system.

A Highways Agency spokesman told the Echo yesterday: “It’s a new road layout and it’s important people give it a bit of extra care and we will assess how it is working as we do for all projects of this kind.

“But it’s working pretty much as well as we could have hoped.”

Around 60,000 people use the junction a day. The Highways Agency said at peak times the average driver should now save 4 minutes 47 seconds.

Wimborne Cllr David Packer, chairman of the town’s planning committee, said: “The flow of traffic seems to be proceeding very well.

“The multitude of traffic lights means you have got to keep your eyes open.

“But I expect it will bed down and people will get used to it.”

Specialist driving instructor John Brown, 70, from Colehill, was yesterday examining the roundabout and is 72 traffic lights. He said: “I think once people get to understand the spiral move across the lanes it will work.

“It’s a big improvement. It’s slowed the traffic down and it’s clear where people are going.”

Chris Slocock, chairman of Wimborne Business Improvement District, said: “It is great to see the roundabout finally open – Wimborne suffered months of disruption in difficult economic times.

“We are concerned, as the roundabout is very complicated with so many lights and short intersections “We cannot yet tell whether the summer queues of traffic will return as normal, or if they have just been moved further down the road, but at the moment traffic does seem to be flowing.”

Echo reporter tries out the new Canford Bottom layout

AS YOU drive over Canford Bottom on the A31, it really hits you – this is not a roundabout anymore.

It’s just a straight dual-carriageway for travellers heading east and west.

And that’s what the engineers wanted, priority for regional traffic.

But that leaves you with a confusing series of moves between Wimborne, Colehill, Ham Lane and Stapehill.

The road markings and signs are clear – if you can see them.

You have to keep stopping at lights and each time scanning the road for the markings you want.

Because the gaps between the lights are so small, you can get caught out.

And will tourists know what the heck ‘C’HILL’ painted on the road means?

The traffic flowed smoothly at mid morning yesterday but you could see confused drivers making last minute moves between lanes.

One driver in front of the Echo did a dangerous sort of U-turn onto the A31 A large lorry heading for Wimborne did not make it through the lights then partly blocked the westbound A31.

Comments(65)

spooki says...
5:50pm Tue 26 Jun 12

If you have a problem following road markings and such, where can you ask for verification? Is there anywhere? I'd like to be sure so if someone hits me or I hit someone (heaven forbid) it would be nice to know who was in the right/wrong. It seems once you pass your test (for those who are on the road legally) that's it! Bye bye, get on with it

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Turtlebay says...
6:22pm Tue 26 Jun 12

It's bonkers! I came down the A31 from Ferndown (East to West on main road) to the traffic lights which were on red. OK I stopped. Then they turned green so I drove off, only to meet another set of lights 20 yards across the junction on red. Only just stopped in time! I wonder how many won't? They should have made it an elevated roundabout instead to give A31 traffic a chance.

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alasdair1967 says...
6:41pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Won't be with us long ,the contract is to revert it back to how it was once Olympics have finished !

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hucky999 says...
6:46pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Get used to it. what a stupid statement! this is a main route for holiday makers and visitors, the road markings and directions are abysmal, its accidents waiting to happen!!!

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hrothgar says...
6:51pm Tue 26 Jun 12

The trouble with highway planners is that they see the road differently to we road users. When designing road layouts they are intellectually tuned into it. However, we ordinary drivers come in all shapes and sizes. Good and bad drivers, those with kids screaming in the car, those who get confused easily, the BULLIES and nervous drivers. When confronted with the complicated light & lane system imposed on them at Canford Bottom roundabout it is inevitable that mistakes will happen and bumps will occur. There is so much stopping/changing lane in such a small area that not everyone will negotiate it successfully. I guess there will be plenty of side scrapes and bumper benders. Each one causing delay to other users of the roundabout. Along with cost and inconvenience to the victims.
What with chicanes, road bumps and other so called safety measures the planners seem only to be minded towards making driving on Dorset's roads more challenging. Is it a game to them?

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alasdair1967 says...
6:51pm Tue 26 Jun 12

hucky999 wrote:
Get used to it. what a stupid statement! this is a main route for holiday makers and visitors, the road markings and directions are abysmal, its accidents waiting to happen!!!
Is it a stupid statement ? It is in the contract of the civil engineers responsible for the works !

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R1200RT says...
6:58pm Tue 26 Jun 12

This is Wimborne's version of the Boscombe surf reef. I am a professional Driver and I use this junction 40 times a week. The wide eyed elderly drivers haven't a clue how to deal with it and I witness accidents and near misses every time I use it. Drivers going through unseen red lights are a common sight. I can only hope the 40mph limit will keep the accidents to panel damage rather than fatals.

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live-and-let-live says...
7:03pm Tue 26 Jun 12

mr and mrs average, driving to poole for the first time will be used to it will they?
will i get used to it when i drive to the new forest through canford bottom once or twice a year? no one should have to 'get used' to it. it should work, simply and clearly for everyone, including tourists who have never been here before.

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R1200RT says...
7:28pm Tue 26 Jun 12

PS Please look out for my biker colleagues if you don't get mesmerised by the 70 odd sets of traffic lights. They don't have body work to protect them.

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Football banning order yob says...
7:28pm Tue 26 Jun 12

total and utter disaster.. A fly over would have been a lot simplier and easier.. its not marked out clear enough and has traffic lights for traffic lights sake.

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harrythered says...
7:29pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Utter shambles, distance between lights is far too small (about 3 cars lengths in many cases), road markings are ridiculous e.g right hand lane from Middlehill to go down Ham Lane then immediately switch lanes on entering roundabout then switch again. Many people will do their own thing because it makes more sense. Already one lady has gone the wrong way down the Wimborne by pass. The so called spiral out is nonsense, they tried it with the old roundabout and it failed. Traffic backed up on A31 the same as ever tonight. A total waste of money and 9 months to "achieve" it

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R1200RT says...
7:31pm Tue 26 Jun 12

PS Please look out for my biker colleagues if you don't get mesmerised by the 70 odd sets of traffic lights. They don't have body work to protect them.

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Old Colonial says...
8:30pm Tue 26 Jun 12

live-and-let-live wrote:
mr and mrs average, driving to poole for the first time will be used to it will they?
will i get used to it when i drive to the new forest through canford bottom once or twice a year? no one should have to 'get used' to it. it should work, simply and clearly for everyone, including tourists who have never been here before.
Exactly!

There is simply not enough time to take in what signage there is (not viewed frontally), anamorphic road markings seen from the side not straight on, and then multiple lights. High level gantry signs would have been a help.

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afcdibby says...
8:30pm Tue 26 Jun 12

I use this junction at least twice a day and it is a massive improvement.

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marketboy says...
8:32pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Possibly,the first serious accident will sharpen the minds of the planners.

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harrythered says...
8:42pm Tue 26 Jun 12

afcdibby wrote:
I use this junction at least twice a day and it is a massive improvement.
Which roads do you use, because the ones I use have been worse? The A31 was seriously backed up from Merley today.

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pauldee007 says...
9:00pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Having read a few of these comments and having driven this route for the past 6 years (from Lymington to Upton) I feel I have a good every day experience of this round about before and after the changes. My view is that with the current traffic light timings it saves me 30 minutes a day in travel time. No matter what people say, the main route is A31 and it should have priority! People said it would just back up and the next roundabout but this is not the case the traffic on the a31 is now flowing freely at rush hour times so in my opinion its a change for the better. For all those who don’t like change, carry on moaning but I think it’s excellent.

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terra firma says...
9:01pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Apart from C'hill(ing) out every time I go home, the real danger is, as they often say, in the small print.
"But that leaves you with a confusing series of moves between Wimborne, Colehill, Ham Lane and Stapehill."
While the moves themselves require concerntration at all times, the amount of space for those negotiating the local roads means that local motorists havent enough room to queue if the next light goes red, blocking those entering from other roads.
There is also a major issue on using the slip road from the A31 when entering from the Ferndown by-pass side. This slip road has only room for 2 vehicles without encroaching ones rea on the new dual carriageway entering the centre of the roundabout.
It is inevitable that some A31 users in their hurry to speed on will take the a** of any vehicle not completely off the new dual road at this point.

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sc61 says...
9:23pm Tue 26 Jun 12

"the amount of space for those negotiating the local roads means that local motorists havent enough room to queue if the next light goes red, blocking those entering from other roads."

I haven't had the dubious honour of trying out this white knuckle ride yet, but I assumed they'd been out with the yellow paint and created box junctions everywhere to stop this happening; which will be a futile exercise as most box junctions are resolutely ignored by many motorists, and it will only take one such to gridlock this waste of public funds.

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harrythered says...
9:23pm Tue 26 Jun 12

terra firma wrote:
Apart from C'hill(ing) out every time I go home, the real danger is, as they often say, in the small print.
"But that leaves you with a confusing series of moves between Wimborne, Colehill, Ham Lane and Stapehill."
While the moves themselves require concerntration at all times, the amount of space for those negotiating the local roads means that local motorists havent enough room to queue if the next light goes red, blocking those entering from other roads.
There is also a major issue on using the slip road from the A31 when entering from the Ferndown by-pass side. This slip road has only room for 2 vehicles without encroaching ones rea on the new dual carriageway entering the centre of the roundabout.
It is inevitable that some A31 users in their hurry to speed on will take the a** of any vehicle not completely off the new dual road at this point.
You are right re the lack of space on the roundabout, I had a large lorry in front of me and he took up the whole available space between sets of lights meaning no one else could move. That slip road is also poor particularly when there is plenty of land to the side that could have been used to make it longer. Time will tell but Friday evening and saturdy mornings in peak summer will tell from the A31 perspective.

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harrythered says...
9:29pm Tue 26 Jun 12

One other comment, why if it is now OPEN do the locals still have their roads closed after 8-30 in the evenings for another week- or don't we count?.

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dinkie123 says...
9:32pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Looks like ****!!!!.....not looking forward to driving this when I'm home in a few weeks!!!
Shaves 4 mins off travel...is that all!!!!! bugger us residents who will have to sit there for an extra 10!

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photo1000 says...
9:41pm Tue 26 Jun 12

who got the back hander for passing the plans for that roundacrossroads maybe the same person who passed plans for the IMAX in bournemouth...give it a week before someone's killed on that part of the A31

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graham99 says...
9:41pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Like most new junctions the real problem are the locals who refuse to follow the signs because they assume they know the junction. If you're confused by a new road layout then how did you ever learn to drive? All roads were new to you once. It's changed. Get over it. It's time to start looking out the windscreen again.

Every local news story about road changes is always the same. Give it a couple of months and you won't know what all the fuss was about.

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wimborne lady says...
9:52pm Tue 26 Jun 12

The raod markings need to be earlier and clearer. As said above , as there is only about 4 car spaces before the next lights , and the cars waiting cover up the road markings!!
As a local i need to use this junction alot and I am still confused!
There needs to be red light cameras as i ve seen many paople go over the red lights (especially on the Ham Lane bit) and also yellow box junctions . Also you can get some slats to go on the lights so paople can actually SEE which lights they are meant to be obeying.

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harrythered says...
9:59pm Tue 26 Jun 12

graham99 wrote:
Like most new junctions the real problem are the locals who refuse to follow the signs because they assume they know the junction. If you're confused by a new road layout then how did you ever learn to drive? All roads were new to you once. It's changed. Get over it. It's time to start looking out the windscreen again.

Every local news story about road changes is always the same. Give it a couple of months and you won't know what all the fuss was about.
You are clueless and patronising, so it's the locals that are the problem - yes thats right the people who use the road every day. Just perhaps we do know the junction and that when turning left you usually get in the left hand lane, except when the Highways Agency say so.

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rba says...
10:47pm Tue 26 Jun 12

well i saw a nasty accident there yesterday and unfortunately i believe that there will be many more to follow. the colehill turn off is an absolute joke

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kathryn1 says...
11:07pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Agreed. My husband was in the correct lane to get to Colehill last night, when a woman in the Wimborne exit lane moved across into the Colehill one. He managed to avoid her car, but it's only a matter of time...

The lanes from Ham Lane across the A31 are confusing even on the HA map, with no clear visual connection and confusing lane widths. Something needs to be done about it.

Any details on that accident?

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kathryn1 says...
11:15pm Tue 26 Jun 12

Has anybody watched the video? At c2:20 a lorry blocks the lights after Ham Lane, so when 'The Echo''s lights go green he can't go anywhere!

FAIL!

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oy@Bmth says...
11:45pm Tue 26 Jun 12

"The junction is designed to ‘spiral’ them to the outside lane but there have been several bumps already as people get used to the system. " But he lines are concetric circles not a spiral so vehicles have to cross lanes to get off the roundabout. If you have a near miss report it to the police as they are responsible for Traffic Law

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In Absentia says...
12:12am Wed 27 Jun 12

Really, £5.7 million could have been saved by closing local road access to the old roundabout for the duration of the olympic sailing events.

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yesitsmeagain says...
6:48am Wed 27 Jun 12

being stationary in gear you allowed to do that now :) ?
i could see how it works straight away just by watching video reminded me of driving in spain

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rudestickers says...
7:31am Wed 27 Jun 12

Stop Bloody moaning! I live on the approach to the roundabout and there is no more queueing to get through to Ferndown etc; I guess we'll all have to put our brains into gear before we head out now!

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jobsworthwatch says...
8:23am Wed 27 Jun 12

Thought the primary concern with anything to do with transport was 'whats its carbon footprint' these days. The carbon footprint for this junction compared to a flyover with a conventional roundabout underneath must be abysmal!

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jobsworthwatch says...
8:30am Wed 27 Jun 12

What they need to do now is turn the lights off during rush hour to simulate a light failure, should be an interesting spectacle!

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hammer says...
10:04am Wed 27 Jun 12

R1200RT wrote:
This is Wimborne's version of the Boscombe surf reef. I am a professional Driver and I use this junction 40 times a week. The wide eyed elderly drivers haven't a clue how to deal with it and I witness accidents and near misses every time I use it. Drivers going through unseen red lights are a common sight. I can only hope the 40mph limit will keep the accidents to panel damage rather than fatals.
So cyclists should have fun going through all the red traffic lights there then!

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tinkerten says...
10:19am Wed 27 Jun 12

Chaos on Sunday when I went through, with cars stopped by red lights blocking way of cars coming from right on green lights. Don't understand the abbreviations in road as not local to that area...

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Bmth 65 says...
10:37am Wed 27 Jun 12

Been mentioned a few times, but can anyone think of a reason why a simple flyover wasn't built ? I can't imagine there would be that much difference in cost over say 20 years, especially when you have the cost of running 72 traffic lights 24 hrs a day !

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pd7 says...
10:49am Wed 27 Jun 12

I thought it was going to be a cut and cover tunnel with a good exit entrance slip given the amount of time and money spent on it.

What we have here is a complete mess waste of time money traffic poles .

It is just a joke

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derek_acorah says...
11:08am Wed 27 Jun 12

Dog's breakfast. Sticking plaster. Waste of money.

A shallow cutting for the a35. Local roads on a slightly elevated roundabout. No massive 'fleets corner' style blot on the landscape. Permanent solution, that's simple for everyone, and the Rabbits would not have died needlessly.

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princealby says...
11:50am Wed 27 Jun 12

I never thought this scheme would work. I agree it should have been a flyover. The idea of a flyover has been in the plans for many many years but so we are lead to believe was to expensive. I have been using the roundabout for over 10 years to get to work and have always had long ques to get to it, but all of a sudden I find I only have 3 or 4 cars in front of me every am in rush hour. Something has worked. Still could be better tho. Where are all the yellow hash boxes to stop and help dumb drivers realise not to block the roundabout? They are clear and bold on the plans but seem to be invisable on the actual road surface.

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SFF says...
12:14pm Wed 27 Jun 12

I have friends who live in Colehill and I approach the roundabout from Ham Lane. Got completely confused by the lanes. Can someone please explain what I need to do as there were cars in front of me unhelpfully covering the road markings.

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Telscombe Cliffy says...
12:21pm Wed 27 Jun 12

It seems to be speeding flows up at the moment for the A31, but what about the backing up from Merley. Nothing's changed at Merley roundabout, surely Saturday mornings going west in school holiday peak are going to be just the same with it queued from Merley to Mc Donalds Ferndown? How will this new arrangement have any effect on that? Tell me

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dorset driver says...
12:28pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Mmmmm the 'Canford' saga continues :) now the HA in their wisdom spent millions, but spent 1p on signage, just look at the Dorchester by pass, signs clear on approach, lane markings you can see, what do we get ? a **** up from start to finish !! I've booked 2 weeks holiday for when the kids break up, and gonna spend it camped in the field with my video camera to record for ever, the carnage that will happen when the locals mix with the tourists, with apologies to Will Shakespere I'm gonna call it a 'Comedy of Errors, other titles welcome ;)

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dorset driver says...
12:55pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Ps The acclaimed 'Echo driver' in the video really needs to learn to drive, could he explain why, when approaching the 'roundabout' does he decide to go to the outside lane to go straight ahead, when the inside lane is clear apart from 1 van, knowing full well if he looks ahead his lane finishes 50 yards after the lights, now along with a few regulars on here, myself included, drive for a living, i drive something approaching 60' ft long,now for those 'car drivers'(and i use that term loosely) if you happen to be along side my rear wheels on my trailor when that lane finishes , please tell me what you are going to do ?, ah i know you are going to brake and slot in behind me are'nt you ? mmmm thought not, you're going to press your horn and make gestures that are not included in the highway code and call me all the names under the sun ( enough of my ramblings ) I await various comments with baited breath, and if you really want to, come out with me for a day, bring your camera and then you can see 1st hand the insanity on our roads :)

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hampreston harriet says...
2:07pm Wed 27 Jun 12

dorset driver wrote:
Ps The acclaimed 'Echo driver' in the video really needs to learn to drive, could he explain why, when approaching the 'roundabout' does he decide to go to the outside lane to go straight ahead, when the inside lane is clear apart from 1 van, knowing full well if he looks ahead his lane finishes 50 yards after the lights, now along with a few regulars on here, myself included, drive for a living, i drive something approaching 60' ft long,now for those 'car drivers'(and i use that term loosely) if you happen to be along side my rear wheels on my trailor when that lane finishes , please tell me what you are going to do ?, ah i know you are going to brake and slot in behind me are'nt you ? mmmm thought not, you're going to press your horn and make gestures that are not included in the highway code and call me all the names under the sun ( enough of my ramblings ) I await various comments with baited breath, and if you really want to, come out with me for a day, bring your camera and then you can see 1st hand the insanity on our roads :)
There are two lanes clearly marked for the traffic wishing to go straight ahead, so surely 'merge in turn' applies here and the Echo driver was driving correctly. Would dorset driver prefer that everyone sat patiently in the inside lane, just as they mostly do at the Wimborne Road/Castle Lane junction despite there being two straight ahead lanes there?

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dorset driver says...
3:29pm Wed 27 Jun 12

hampreston harriet wrote:
dorset driver wrote:
Ps The acclaimed 'Echo driver' in the video really needs to learn to drive, could he explain why, when approaching the 'roundabout' does he decide to go to the outside lane to go straight ahead, when the inside lane is clear apart from 1 van, knowing full well if he looks ahead his lane finishes 50 yards after the lights, now along with a few regulars on here, myself included, drive for a living, i drive something approaching 60' ft long,now for those 'car drivers'(and i use that term loosely) if you happen to be along side my rear wheels on my trailor when that lane finishes , please tell me what you are going to do ?, ah i know you are going to brake and slot in behind me are'nt you ? mmmm thought not, you're going to press your horn and make gestures that are not included in the highway code and call me all the names under the sun ( enough of my ramblings ) I await various comments with baited breath, and if you really want to, come out with me for a day, bring your camera and then you can see 1st hand the insanity on our roads :)
There are two lanes clearly marked for the traffic wishing to go straight ahead, so surely 'merge in turn' applies here and the Echo driver was driving correctly. Would dorset driver prefer that everyone sat patiently in the inside lane, just as they mostly do at the Wimborne Road/Castle Lane junction despite there being two straight ahead lanes there?
Ah the difficulty i have with it HH, is that drivers nowadays really have no idea how to position themselves on the road,whilst seeing your point of view regarding 'merge in turn' a sign or 10 might be in order, as for your comment the 'Echo driver was in the correct lane' Ummmmm how ? If you view the video, you can see exactly what i mean, why go from a lane that has 1 vehicle in it to the other lane which has 3 in it, from where you then have to rejoin the left lane , if you see my previous post, which is the one before you commented on, I hope, that should we meet at the infamous Canford roundabout in the circumstances i described, be aware i can replace my tyre alot faster than you can replace your car :)

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Brian Badonde says...
3:54pm Wed 27 Jun 12

dorset driver wrote:
hampreston harriet wrote:
dorset driver wrote:
Ps The acclaimed 'Echo driver' in the video really needs to learn to drive, could he explain why, when approaching the 'roundabout' does he decide to go to the outside lane to go straight ahead, when the inside lane is clear apart from 1 van, knowing full well if he looks ahead his lane finishes 50 yards after the lights, now along with a few regulars on here, myself included, drive for a living, i drive something approaching 60' ft long,now for those 'car drivers'(and i use that term loosely) if you happen to be along side my rear wheels on my trailor when that lane finishes , please tell me what you are going to do ?, ah i know you are going to brake and slot in behind me are'nt you ? mmmm thought not, you're going to press your horn and make gestures that are not included in the highway code and call me all the names under the sun ( enough of my ramblings ) I await various comments with baited breath, and if you really want to, come out with me for a day, bring your camera and then you can see 1st hand the insanity on our roads :)
There are two lanes clearly marked for the traffic wishing to go straight ahead, so surely 'merge in turn' applies here and the Echo driver was driving correctly. Would dorset driver prefer that everyone sat patiently in the inside lane, just as they mostly do at the Wimborne Road/Castle Lane junction despite there being two straight ahead lanes there?
Ah the difficulty i have with it HH, is that drivers nowadays really have no idea how to position themselves on the road,whilst seeing your point of view regarding 'merge in turn' a sign or 10 might be in order, as for your comment the 'Echo driver was in the correct lane' Ummmmm how ? If you view the video, you can see exactly what i mean, why go from a lane that has 1 vehicle in it to the other lane which has 3 in it, from where you then have to rejoin the left lane , if you see my previous post, which is the one before you commented on, I hope, that should we meet at the infamous Canford roundabout in the circumstances i described, be aware i can replace my tyre alot faster than you can replace your car :)
If everyone queued up in the left lane only then the queue would be twice as long, wouldn't it?

That's why there are two lanes - to get traffic through the lights more efficiently.

Drivers are supposed to distribute themselves in roughly equal numbers between the two lanes to maximise throughput.

The downside is the inevitable merging problem at the other side, but if everyone merges in turn then this greatly improves the efficiency of the junction.

People who use the outside lane are not 'pushing in' or 'queue jumping' as some people seem to believe - they are in fact using the junction as it is designed to be used.

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burgerboy says...
4:24pm Wed 27 Jun 12

With all the shunts and bumps that have already happened is this going to turn out to be a very expensive BANGER RACING TRACK !!!! (;-).

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kathryn1 says...
4:39pm Wed 27 Jun 12

SFF:
'I have friends who live in Colehill and I approach the roundabout from Ham Lane... Can someone please explain what I need to do as there were cars in front of me unhelpfully covering the road markings.'

See:

http://www.highways.
gov.uk/roads/project
s/32281.htm

As far as I can tell, at the end of Ham Lane you should get into the R lane (not marked CHILL - why not?). Obey the lights (1)

On the roundabout, get into the R lane (marked CHILL). Obey the lights (2)

Go across the invisible yellow box and move into the L lane of the 2 lanes which are still going round the roundabout (the CHILL lane has now split in 2 and the L lane is marked CHILL, while a new lane for Ferndown & Christchurch, i.e. Longham, has appeared on your R). Confused yet? It gets worse. This is a prime spot for people to lane-change, so look out for people who got into the wrong lane (the L one at the last set of lights), realise they're being dragged off to Wimborne when they want to go to Colehill and move across into your lane. Obey the lights (3)

Peel off the roundabout in the L'most lane of the 3 or 4 which now appear.

Welcome to Colehill. You have reached your destination. If you and your car are in one piece, take a deep breath and give thanks - though probably not to the HA, or to Enterprise Mouchel. :-)

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rba says...
5:19pm Wed 27 Jun 12

we put up with maintenance sign posts for months whilst the works were going on. i think they should now put up sign posts on every approach to the roundabout saying "warning dodgey roundabout ahead approach with extreme caution, enter at own risk, we will not be held responsible for accidents that may happen due to the poor design of this roundabout"!!

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kathryn1 says...
5:28pm Wed 27 Jun 12

oy@bournemouth:
'"The junction is designed to ‘spiral’ them to the outside lane but there have been several bumps already as people get used to the system. " But he lines are concetric circles not a spiral so vehicles have to cross lanes to get off the roundabout.'

It was claimed that the design of the roundabout would eliminate the need to change lanes.

Rather than having single spiralling lanes which drivers stay in while on the roundabout, the lanes in this design keep splitting, and new lanes appear as a result, sometimes with entirely new destinations marked in them.

So instead of choosing a lane on entry and following it round to your exit, you have to constantly monitor and/or switch relative positions, e.g. from Longham to Ferndown, you need to:

1. Be in the R lane at Ham Lane (not marked for Ferndown)

2. Be in the R lane at the lights before the A31 crossing (not marked for Ferndown)

3. Be in the R lane at the next lights (the previous lane has split into 2 and the R lane is marked for Ferndown - no need to be clairvoyant any more!)

4. Be in the middle lane at the next lights (the lane has split into 2)

5. Be in the L lane at the next lights (no split this time)

6. Peel off to Ferndown while the lane next to you splits into 3

The problems seem to be:

- a lack of entry lane signs on the local roads

- more lane/destination signs needed on the roundabout

- apparently inconsistent and unintuitive splitting and positioning of lanes

The only solution for drivers seems to be to study the map and learn every single combination of lanes on the roundabout. Does anybody have a better idea? And how does that work for anyone who comes across it for the first time with no advanced warning and no chance to do the homework?

I've found this problem with other roundabouts such as Fleetsbridge and Mountbatten Arms: if you don't know in advance which lanes to get into, you're pretty much sunk.

But they seem to flow better than the CBR. I've never seen the lights change and the driver at the head of the queue unable to move off because of blocking, as on the Echo video.

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Jetwasher says...
6:03pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Had a job in colehill today, got in to the wrong lane had to go round again , the beeping and swearing iv seen today on that roundabout. So glad i don't have to drive thou that every day a total balls up, traffic lights out of sync , you move 10 ft before you have to stop again !

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IDONTKNOWIFITISTRRUE says...
9:41pm Wed 27 Jun 12

I used to take my car from West Dorset to be serviced at Wimborne which was the nearest dealer for the make, I have now decided that it will be easier to travel to Yeovil rather than go via Canford Bottom, probably less stress and less likely to need bodywork repairs incurred en route.

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hrothgar says...
9:44pm Wed 27 Jun 12

Whatever sign put up to help drivers on approach to the roundabout would need to be so long to explain the complicated system that drivers would have no time to read them!

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jamesmarshall says...
10:24pm Wed 27 Jun 12

What was wrong with it being a roundabout?

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IDONTKNOWIFITISTRRUE says...
12:06pm Thu 28 Jun 12

jamesmarshall
Because Coe and his jumped up cohorts might have had to slow down in the dash for Portland in their cars fitted with equipment to turn traffic lights green in their favour.

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roundthecorner says...
9:26pm Thu 28 Jun 12

I have actually found the perfect solution to this roundabout - avoid it at all costs. I now use the local roads, through Wimborne and when going to Ferndown, cut through the back roads on to the A31 further up.It is an absolute nightmare at present and I just dread to think what it will be like during the summerholiday when visitors fight their way through. The people in HA who designed this should be sacked. I'm sure their attitude is - no problem, let them get used to it. We don't live there so why should we worry. Just another complete waste of money.

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MarloweOS says...
10:00pm Thu 28 Jun 12

The hamburger junction is essentially an ordinary grade separated junction that has been flattened.

It wouldn't surprise me if the original idea was discovered by accident after a designer dropped a heavy book on his 3D model and flattened it!

Anyway, this junction seems extremely complicated, considering there is ample space, (a lot of money) and some very clever designers.

Since a grade separated junction seems to be out (although I don't know why) could the flattening approach be applied to other types of grade separation, for example a dumb bell junction (like the A35 / A354 junction on the Puddletown bypass).
Such a junction would have only one crossing between the A31 and local roads, and all routes could be 2 lanes in each direction.

Each side of the A31 is a smaller roundabout serving the local roads, and 2 'slip' roads leading to their side of the A31.
The roundabouts are also joined by a 2 lane crossing of the A31.
This junction would require only 1 set of traffic lights to manage the middle 'cross roads', where 'ahead only' applies to all approaches - much like the crossover bridge of a dumbbell junction.
If you sketch this out, the slip roads also end up being significantly longer than "2 car lengths".

Much simpler, much easier to use, and far safer.

As for the 'get used to it' - the 'magic' roundabout in Swindon is an excellent example, the locals are used to it, and use it very well. But to a visitor, it looks incredibly confusing.

Finally, are the 2 sets of traffic lights on the A31 ever both green simultaneously? Starting and stopping is one of the most fuel intensive things you can do in a car, and is very uneconomical.

Good luck.

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pan1 says...
3:21pm Fri 29 Jun 12

15 Mins ago i went through this roundabout there was what looked like a serious accident. Who ever came up with this idea will not realise what we all ready know until someone is seriously injured or killed

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askquestion says...
5:41pm Fri 29 Jun 12

its easier driving the worse motorways in the country, than attempts to get through this spaghetti junction ! i never had a problem as it was before, but suspect there will a lot of insurance claims just in the summer. i am used to driving in London, and this seems to me to un-necessarily complicated

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miketheplumb says...
7:57am Sat 30 Jun 12

Spaghetti Hill (c'hill) by the sound of the comments. Another accident generator. Worth building a car body shop nearby, as it will surely make good money, just how soon before a fatality is the sad question?

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Florrie says...
2:55pm Mon 2 Jul 12

It is about time some-one sent these comments to Coe.. and blamed him for possible fatalities. If only we could outlaw Fat Cats....Some chance..

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dinkie123 says...
10:13pm Mon 2 Jul 12

I am dreading having to drive this for the first time in a few weeks, but excited to use my car horn :) i missed a lot of its development, being away at uni, and only experienced some of the road closures at night, which worked fine (until at 8.25 i tried to get across and it was already shut...was M.A.D)... but am yet to see it finished...this should be interesting... driven in france, currently driving in the canaries (right and left hand drives), and im 19... here's hoping my experience is enough..feel sorry for the new drivers, i thought my 3rd ever driving lesson 2 years ago at rush hour on the roundabout was bad... save us all now!!! Haha

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hey teecher! says...
4:30pm Fri 6 Jul 12

What a nightmare!
I have suffered verbal abuse and gestures from two drivers this evening when I was in the correct lane (and yes I have doubled checked on the plans http://www.highways.

gov.uk/roads/project

s/32281.htm) but they believed they were and cut me up!!
The most ludicrous aspects in order are :-
*Approach signage still shows a roundabout so thats how people want to treat it (fair enough!)
* you can't see the lane marking because the other traffic has to stop on them.
* when coming from Merley, if you want to go to Ferndown you have to choose the nearside lane which appears to lead only to Wimborne, when the instinct is obviously to use the right lane as it is, according to the signs, the 4th exit to the right. If you do this though you can't go to ferndown at all and will just whizz through onto the by-pass.
I use this junction to and from work and without doubt the traffic is moving faster and queues are lessened but I've already seen three accidents and some maniacal lane changing!!!

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