A little help with traffic
Since the opening of Tesco at Hemsworth I have found that the traffic light system leaves a lot to be desired, especially if you are travelling from the South Kirkby and South Elmsall side of Hemsworth towards Cross Hills.
There are gridlocks in Hemsworth regularly, because the traffic light system is now in place. I don't think the planning department could have foreseen the mayhem it causes.
There are three main reasons for the congestion.
The first is that the lane provided for access to the bus station, Tesco and the Co-op petrol station and the turn around system is too small. It only holds about seven vehicles – any more than this and the access to all the other lanes is blocked until the Tesco lane is cleared.
The second is that the lights controlling the Tesco and access lane only has a green light after all the other four lights have been through the cycle, which takes up to six minutes.
The third is that the entrance to the Co-op petrol station is wrong. You have to use the Tesco lane to gain access to the petrol station.
I am sure all three of these main causes could be sorted quite easily, and sorting any one of them would ease the congestion dramatically.
On the first issue, they could extend the lane for Tesco by removing the parking for three cars outside the front of the old police station, which would allow them to have two lanes through the town. The left lvane would allow traffic through with no interference from the right lane feeding Tesco, the bus station and petrol station.
On the second issue, a give-way access instead of traffic light control would allow traffic to access Tesco, when otherwise it would be waiting for the traffic lights. I have noticed there are large gaps in traffic that cannot be used under red lights that would clear traffic in that lane, had it been a give-way instead. Making this a give-way would also quicken the traffic light sequence allowing traffic in all directions to clear quicker.
On the third issue: simply making the entrance to the Co-op petrol station the exit and the current exit the entrance would mean that traffic wanting to use the petrol station did not have to go through the one way system to get fuel and would ease the congestion in the Tesco lane. We all use that petrol station as it's the only one left in the Hemsworth area.
I like the new Tesco and I believe it has been a huge boost for the local community, but the traffic light system is lacking and causing a grid lock which is completely avoidable.
TS Firth
Tombridge Crescent
Kinsley
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
