A FORMER mayor has voiced fears over traffic chaos at Worcester’s Ketch roundabout – and insists there must be no repeat of the past.
Councillor Derek Prodger has told the county council’s leadership to learn from past mistakes at the busy A38 route in St Peter’s.
Back in 2007. thousands of drivers got stuck in gridlock after a bungled traffic lights experiment at the island by council chiefs.
As early as 7am motorists were snarled up from the M5 motorway in one direction to Powick Bridge in the other, leading to the experiment being scrapped.
The Ketch roundabout is due a massive upgrade over the summer as part of a £14.2 million package of transport improvements around Worcester.
Coun Prodger said: “At that location of the Ketch we tried an experiment which caused absolute chaos. It was so bad the whole of the west side of Worcester was blocked off.
“We need to be careful whatever we do with it as that is a main route to the M5, and that’s my plea.”
The roundabout is used by drivers heading towards the motorway via the A4440, into Malvern from the Carrington Bridge and for commuters destined for Worcester via Bath Road. The work, which is set to cost around £2 million, will see the entire roundabout redesigned to make it bigger and the widening of the highways around it.
More details will only emerge once transport bosses stage a consultation over it, which is expected in the spring.
Councillor Simon Geraghty, deputy leader and cabinet member for the economy, said: “He’s absolutely right that when we do the work on the Ketch roundabout, it needs to be in consultation with local residents.
“A lot of this work will involve us building off the main highways and creating a larger roundabout, but, of course, we’ll need to learn from past experience at that location.”
