Are all these road works necessary?

MANY people are concerned about various roadworks in Newcastle.

The final dangerous and pointless ones are to the flyover from the Great North Road to Wideopen. It takes traffic easily to Wideopen, Brunswick, Seaton Burn and Hazlerigg, and onto Sandy Lane for the coast and other northern areas.

The flyover was two lanes and is now marked only for buses. Even the main road has only one bus lane between 7am and 7pm. The flyover serves, I think, only three services, six to nine buses an hour or say 102 to 153 a day.

It is not clear if taxis will have access and drivers I have spoken to are not happy with road changes generally.

All traffic, including from householders 20 yards away, have to use the large busy roundabout further along and I am worried about cyclists having several lane changes on the roundabout.

If not they may have to push bikes over the road to Gosforth Park when the road again becomes two way and for use by all traffic. In Gosforth the council tried to help and made a cycle lane which goes behind bus shelters endangering those leaving the shelters. Not really thought out?

Now they endanger riders on the large roundabout. Sandy Lane took a staggering 50 weeks to add an additional road area for waiting traffic and side access ways, only a few years after roadworks and lights were erected (which took 10 months to wire up). Traffic was better without the lights.

The Silverlink works will take nearly three years, putting many businesses in difficulty. Will it not just speed up queues to the Tunnel?

Often not enough men seem to be employed at works despite using heavy plant and would works have taken so long, say 50 years ago even allowing for busier traffic?

There seems to be a lack of thought and why were views of drivers, particularly taxi drivers not sought, as with the new A1 works.

Letters were sent out and places set for viewing and discussion which was sensible if views are taken into account. Come on councils, think things out and get sensible works done expeditiously. P SINCLAIR