Junction change confusion
A traffic management experiment at the junction of Wood Street and Barnet High Street is causing a headache for some drivers.
There is currently no left turn from Wood Street into High Street, and no corresponding right turn in front of the parish church from High Street into Wood Street.
Within hours of the temporary suspensions taking effect ambulances heading south along High Street were forced to do emergency U-turns and then, with blue lights flashing and sirens sounding, had no alternative but to drive on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic as they headed for Barnet Hospital.
The aim of the trial, which might last anything from six to 18 months, is to assess the impact on traffic flow at the junction in order to see whether it might be possible to widen the pedestrian refuge in front of the church.
When Barnet and Southgate College opened its new campus opposite the church six years ago, a condition of the original planning approval was that the college had to provide funds for an improved pedestrian crossing at the Wood Street-High Street junction.
Barnet Council had arranged for the trial to start in February or March. No explanation has been given for the delay.
There have been some estimates that as many as 400 vehicles a day execute either left or right turns at the church, and their suspension will force extensive detours.
The Barnet Society has suggested that it might be possible to redesign the pedestrian crossing while retaining the left turn from Wood Street, but the Council says this is not possible due to sequencing of the traffic and pedestrian lights controlling the junction.
The difficulty facing ambulance crews is likely to be replicated by lorry drivers whose satnavs indicate that a right turn from the High Street is still possible at the church.
14 thoughts on “Junction change confusion”
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About time it’s gone back to normal!! Which twit/s from Barnet council thought up the stupid idea in the first place? Must have been stuck for something to do that day!
https://www.theresavilliers.co.uk/news/villiers-welcomes-return-left-turn-barnet-high-street
I was passing there tonight, and it seems to be fully open again
This is a terrible idea and makes much more congestion on Wood street. When will it end?
This has caused a great many out of service busses to thunder down Stapylton Road and turn right into St Albans Road to get to Potters Bar Garage, especially late at night causing excessive noise and vibration every few minutes up to 1am.
The knock on effect of this ridiculous experiment has meant that at peak times both Alston Road and Stapleton Roads are gridlocked and the poor people of Moxon Street and Park Road have seen a massive increase in cars cutting through. Dangerous and hazardous.
Whoever thought up this ridiculous idea obviously does not live in Union Street, Stapleton Road or the lower end of Salisbury Road. There has been an increase in traffic on these roads, not to mention the chaos at the Black Horse Junction.
I also have had cars suddenly appear in front of me as they turned from the High Street into Wood Street, not only is it disconcerting ti is also highly dangerous.
Please replace the barriers and put the junction back to what it was.
I have never ever seen too many people using that crossing so that it needs expanding. If that was the reason, why did they remove the safety barriers that were there. It’s a real pain losing that turning, it sends a lot of traffic down roads not set up to cope. There is already way too much traffic on Stapleton, especially the speed some of them fly around the bus stop into on coming traffic. Put the junction back how it was please.
Well so far I’ve had three vehicles pull a sudden U turn in front of me to get up Wood Street.
One of them was a Bus !!!!!
It’s an ill conceived nonsensical attempt to solve a problem that doesn’t really exist….
It’s ridiculous
It’s perfectly clear already the impact on traffic is to cause awful disruption, forcing many vehicles to either make unnecessary and dangerous trips around Moxon Street – Victors Way and Park Road where in several places there is no room to pass
The gridlock this is causing will not go away till the idiots who dreamed this scheme up admit it’s an utter disaster and remove it
Designed by clever road planners who get their wives to drive to town to shop
I wouldn’t be in the slightest bit surprised if you find one morning some local folk have removed all the bollards and piled them up somewhere off the road
It’s become a real headache and more dangerous if anything. Traffic at a standstill. There is no suitable alternatives to compensate for closing these turns. Some stupid person has a lot to answer for!
Been making these perfectly safe turns in to and out of our High Street for over thirty years and now, as said above, it’s become a journey down narrow residential streets.
When was the consultation on this change…???
Ridiculous ! Who thinks up these stupid ideas ????
What dimwit thought this was anywhere near a good idea?
Its a junction of two main roads, so there is always going to be significant traffic making those turns. If they cant they will divert down Park Road and out through Moxon Street in one direction and around Stapleton Road in the other. Past residential properties and through unsuitable junctions.
This needs to be moved now.