Avenue lay-out ‘still not ideal’

Wednesday 20th July 2011, 2:57PM BST.

The controversail roadworks at Bel Royal cost £1 million

A CONTROVERSIAL junction on Victoria Avenue which sparked major safety concerns when it was built three years ago is still ‘not ideal’, Transport Minister Mike Jackson has said.

The department faced criticism in 2008 when it redesigned the road at Bel Royal without consulting the emergency services – even though the changes forced ambulances and fire engines to mount the kerb.

Following the criticism, a number of adjustments were made, including lowering and strengthening the kerb to enable vehicles to pass more easily.

But the department has this week faced new questions over the safety of the ‘refuge area’ in the central reservation used by cars pulling out of the Kiosk lay-by.

In a written response to questions from Deputy Daniel Wimberley, Transport Minister Mike Jackson said that the junction was not perfect and admitted that the refuge area was too small to accommodate most vehicles.

But he said that the new lay-out had still helped to reduce the number of road accidents.

1
small business

July 20, 2011 at 3:55 pm

Potential election candidate De Faye disagrees he states that is all is well with the system he introduced.

Report abuse
2
small money

July 20, 2011 at 4:06 pm

well we never had one before .
how many cars were t boned at this junction?
and how many now.

Report abuse
3
anon

July 20, 2011 at 6:25 pm

I expect that statistics have improved, fine.

But, I would also bet (reflecting my confidence in absence of stats) that the width of the lane divider area just after the bel royal corner has no relationship to the improvements, and is unnecessarily wide.

Surely (me a layman, so happy to be corrected!) it would be fairly easy and small cost to widen the outbound lane so that emergency vehicles outbound from town (usually more important than return to hospital etc) could pass more easily and quickly?

Report abuse
4
Jonathan

July 20, 2011 at 8:48 pm

Small Business> small mind, petty comment and inaccurate.

Report abuse
5
John Rambo

July 21, 2011 at 7:57 am

4. Jonathan

I’m sorry but Small Business is right. He even stated this on this very forum a while back.

Report abuse
6
Fred Zeppelin

July 21, 2011 at 9:07 am

Jonathan #4

You must have missed de Faye’s arrogant rant on another thread here a couple of weeks ago.

#1′s comment is entirely justifiable.

Report abuse
7
Sanity

July 21, 2011 at 9:46 am

As a result of this botch up they have had to reduce the road to a single carriageway and apply a restricted speed limit so these statistics are hardly a badge of honour. Another example of the States wasting millions on some Civil servants pet project and making life worse for the public. Certainly the current minister needs to be held accountable [even if only to the voters in St Brelade] for the current million pound mess but the public have to remember the arrogance of Guy De Faye and the millions of pounds he wasted in his short tenure as minister..

Report abuse
8
nigel

July 21, 2011 at 2:18 pm

I believe it was 9million that was wasted by Guy de Faye’s project to no great advantage.
This money should have been spent on repairing and improving other roads not making wavy lines along Victoria Avenue.
I suppose doing up more minor roads didn’t have the ‘prestige’ of Victoria Avenue.

Report abuse
9
truthseeker

July 21, 2011 at 5:56 pm

To say nothing of the extra expense of patches of grit set in resin…that is placed where cars are slowing down already….and does not last 5 minutes the one by St/Lukes church on route de fort was less than a year before all the grit wears off and the slick shiny resin base is left…a very poorly thought out procedure….sandpaper for roads basically…

Report abuse
10
CJ

July 21, 2011 at 7:27 pm

A complete and utter numpty could see the Bel Royal area was not fit for purpose from the moment of concept. Where the hell do they find the people that come up with these ideas wasting our hard earned tax money.

Report abuse
11
Ron Jeremy

July 21, 2011 at 9:06 pm

I have a suggestion, not just on this subject but generally, how about all ministers have to be Senators.That way if a states member fancies a Ministerial Post they have to put themselves before the whole Island, so we don’t have the farcical situation of someone with just a few hundred votes(or unbelievably elected unnoposed} making pet project decisions for the whole Island.

If there are less Senators than Ministers I apologise,it was just a thought.

Report abuse
12
pete

July 21, 2011 at 9:44 pm

nigel
I don’t know where you have got your information from, but you are incorrect.

Report abuse
13
nigel

July 22, 2011 at 8:17 pm

12 Pete.
Please enlighten me where I am wrong.

Report abuse
14
Pete

July 23, 2011 at 11:28 am

The scheme did not cost anywhere near £9M.

Report abuse
15
Richard

July 31, 2011 at 6:32 pm

Whatever the cost was, it was pointless. So if it has reduced accidents, then what are they going to do about all the other roads where there are accidents. I think I know that answer myself. I suppose that the stretch of road from the garage at Grouville to the golf course will stay in that condition for another few years, while they pointlessly “improve” somewhere else.

Report abuse
16
C Le Verdic

August 1, 2011 at 8:32 pm

Not fit for purpose and at the end of the day it happened on somebody’s watch!

Report abuse