Apology over traffic jam caused by road survey (From Thisisdorset)
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Apology over traffic jam caused by road survey
9:22am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in Latest By Jim Durkin
Apology over traffic jam caused by road survey
COUNTY Hall has been forced into issuing an apology to motorists after causing a huge rush-hour traffic jam on one of Dorset’s busiest roads.
A five-mile tailback choked traffic travelling into Poole along the busy A35 Upton bypass yesterday morning after Dorset County Council engineers coned off one lane along a four-mile stretch from the Bakers Arms roundabout.
The left-hand eastbound lane of the A35 was coned off all the way to Creekmoor so engineers could carry out a survey ahead of repair work scheduled for November.
However, fuming motorists blasted the decision to carry out the closure during rush hour.
And Dorset County Council’s Upton representative Fred Drane – describing the timing of the survey as “disgusting” – told the Daily Echo he planned to raise the matter with officials as soon as possible.
Transport chiefs have now abandoned plans to close one lane of the westbound carriageway at rush hour today, insisting engineers will wait until after the morning rush hour before moving in.
An angry Cllr Drane said: “There seems to have been absolutely no consideration taken for people driving into work.
“I saw this massive queue and thought to myself, this is absolutely not on.
“There must have been an awful lot of people held up – it is not acceptable that they didn’t realise this would happen.”
Some drivers reported up an extra half-an-hour on their journeys into work.
County highways group manager Martin Hill said: “We are extremely sorry for the disruption. We didn’t know how long the survey work along the eastbound carriageway would take, so we started early to make sure we finished it in one day.
“On reflection, it would have been better to have spread it over another day and avoided the peak rush.”
Today, one lane of the westbound carriageway at the same section will be closed from 9.30am until 4pm.
One fuming motorist said: “You would have thought the council might have realised closing one lane of this very busy road may have caused problems during rush hour. For a survey that could be done anytime? What were they thinking”
The work scheduled for November includes road resurfacing, drainage improvements, safety fence replacement, bridge strengthening and cutting back trees and vegetation.
Comments(13)
Jim_Springbourne
says...
9:41am Wed 19 Sep 12
RRYFS
says...
9:57am Wed 19 Sep 12
jeebuscripes
says...
10:51am Wed 19 Sep 12
Great apology Dorset County Council, keep up the good work.
Just think, no mishaps and incompetence would mean NO apologies.
hamworthygirl
says...
11:18am Wed 19 Sep 12
muscliffman
says...
11:33am Wed 19 Sep 12
A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence?
Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension?
Guess.
Phixer
says...
11:38am Wed 19 Sep 12
muscliffman wrote:Either way, paid by you and me from our taxes, not forgetting that we also pay for their Xmas presents, holidays and anniversary dinners out of our taxes - and, no, public employees do not pay tax. What they handover has already come from real taxpayers.
And the actual Council Officer who was responsible for this disgraceful, ill-timed needless fiasco.
A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence?
Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension?
Guess.
nermal
says...
11:40am Wed 19 Sep 12
Duckorange
says...
11:42am Wed 19 Sep 12
Phixer wrote:Heaven forbid that public servants take holidays and buy Christmas presents for their families.
muscliffman wrote:Either way, paid by you and me from our taxes, not forgetting that we also pay for their Xmas presents, holidays and anniversary dinners out of our taxes - and, no, public employees do not pay tax. What they handover has already come from real taxpayers.
And the actual Council Officer who was responsible for this disgraceful, ill-timed needless fiasco.
A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence?
Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension?
Guess.
fedupwithjobsworths
says...
1:10pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Duckorange wrote:Public servants? Perhaps this term should be explained to them.
Phixer wrote:Heaven forbid that public servants take holidays and buy Christmas presents for their families.muscliffman wrote: And the actual Council Officer who was responsible for this disgraceful, ill-timed needless fiasco. A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence? Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension? Guess.Either way, paid by you and me from our taxes, not forgetting that we also pay for their Xmas presents, holidays and anniversary dinners out of our taxes - and, no, public employees do not pay tax. What they handover has already come from real taxpayers.
jeebuscripes
says...
2:13pm Wed 19 Sep 12
muscliffman wrote:Probably neither.
And the actual Council Officer who was responsible for this disgraceful, ill-timed needless fiasco.
A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence?
Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension?
Guess.
Some middle manager on about 30k a year. Bumbling through life.
sea poole
says...
3:23pm Wed 19 Sep 12
tbpoole
says...
10:31pm Wed 19 Sep 12
Phixer wrote:So when I buy a box of Cornflakes I'm not only paying for the wages of those who produced it, I'm paying for the taxes they pay too...wow, can I have a refund then?
muscliffman wrote:Either way, paid by you and me from our taxes, not forgetting that we also pay for their Xmas presents, holidays and anniversary dinners out of our taxes - and, no, public employees do not pay tax. What they handover has already come from real taxpayers.
And the actual Council Officer who was responsible for this disgraceful, ill-timed needless fiasco.
A minimum wage employee rightly awaiting a disciplinary inquiry for gross incompetence?
Or a County Hall fat cat likely to repeat this type of idiocy whilst awaiting future promotions and a nice big pension?
Guess.
woby_tide says...
9:32am Wed 19 Sep 12
And is the answer "Don't close lanes during the rush hour"
Can I have a consultants fee?