Stourport traffic 'gridlocked' after traffic lights switch-on

5:00pm Tuesday 1st May 2012 in S-T Photograph of the Author By William Tomaney

WORKERS in Stourport have described traffic as “horrendous” after a new set of traffic lights was switched on.

The lights on Mitton Street, just before the Severn Road junction, are part of highway works ahead of the new Tesco superstore being built. They were turned on for the first time at about 1pm today.

Dawn Griffiths, who works at David J Price and Associates on Mitton Street, said the traffic had been congested since then.

She said: “Drivers have become impatient and there are a lot of horns beeping.

“It has been a really noticeable difference already and this is even before the traffic jams at 5pm and before Tesco has even opened.

“I dread to think about what this is going to be like when it does open, it is very worrying as it is horrendous already.”

Traffic is reported to have tailed back as far as Cook’s Garden Centre on Worcester Road and back up to Wilden Lane at times during the afternoon.

If you are in the area and have noticed a difference leave a comment below, tweet us @ksshuttle or email william.tomaney@kidderminstershuttle.co.uk

Comments(19)

neilhar says...
5:58pm Tue 1 May 12

Ridiculous. Absolutely no need for them to be on until the store is open or maybe after the bridge over the stour opens. Call WCC highways and complain. Let's at least have some traffic flow until we have to crawl everywhere. Idiotic decision. taken, presumably, by idiots

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jodee1kenobi@yahoo.co.uk says...
6:17pm Tue 1 May 12

I would say most of Stourport could have told them this was going to happen!!!

@Neilhar Totally agree idiotic decision! It will probably be the same idiots that decided to put the lights there in the first place!

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Stephen Brown says...
6:18pm Tue 1 May 12

Made worse by the road still being coned off reducing traffic to one lane.

No need for the lights to even be switched on yet.

What were they thinking???

Trade in town has already been hit by the roadworks over the last few months, so I hope they have removed the cones before the bank holiday weekend as traders have been less than happy with the delays (2 weeks or more overdue?) in finishing these works.

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stour67 says...
6:34pm Tue 1 May 12

Said this was going to happen on a previous post ,welcome to stourports foley park,they could not organise a p in a brewery ,pelican crossing should be scrapped and zebra crossing brought back,just come back from spain on pelican crossing on jams ,they put ramps in front of crossing causing drivers to slow down,never had a problem in stour town till they put pelicans in and lights at the top of vale road,should have been an island

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Poppasmurf says...
9:33pm Tue 1 May 12

Several years ago, a friend of mine who is an American police officer came to stay with me for a week. After two days he announced "the traffic management in this area is pi** poor!" It's obvious things haven't changed.

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HowardM says...
12:34pm Wed 2 May 12

Wait until Tescos opens - then watch the fun! Total planning madness!

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FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
4:34pm Wed 2 May 12

Re: lane closures - according to the latest report from WCC they had permission to close off lane 1 or 2 anytime from 17/10/11 until 30/04/12.

Unless they've applied for an extension they are currently blocking off the road without permission.

Back on topic - what a mess! You come into Mitton Street and approach the corner and are confronted with one main set of lights with another set directly behind them. Gee that's not going to be confusing seeing one set at red and another at green.

Oh and of course the joy of getting stuck in the left hand lane despite the main set being green; because the pedestrian crossing is on red and the car in front wants to turn left.

But hey woo-hoo we've a bank holiday fast approaching. What an excellent opportunity to see the levels of how beeped up the traffic in Stourport can reach.

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Stephen Brown says...
11:35pm Wed 2 May 12

I see that the lights were switched off today and the traffic breezed through this evening compared to 6pm yesterday.

I wish someone would remove those cones as they have served no purpose for the last 3 weeks during the day anytime I have passed them. I have only seen folks working on the road itself at late night.

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liamdanny says...
2:15pm Thu 3 May 12

would like very much to hire a large lorry and take them away anyone like to help,stourport we are right in the s..t

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neilhar says...
5:42pm Thu 3 May 12

I got the lights turned off by calling WCC.

Thanks for that closure info Flip. Too late now but I shall call about the end of the order first thing.

I too commented to WCC when they called me back about the cones serving no purpose.

The new bridge was due open this week. The weather has caused a delay, I reckon week after next for completion. Perhaps, just perhaps splitting the traffic will help once the bridge is open but I do like to dream.

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racerroy says...
4:40pm Fri 4 May 12

Thank God I dont live the other side of the River...Has any one noticed the 'ONE WAY' signs in Lichfield Street, I saw them last weekend while having a drive round by the Basins.
At the moment they are covered over but I bet all hell will break lose when they are uncovered....LOL..Ho
,Ho,Ho....

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FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
4:57pm Fri 4 May 12

@NeilHar - looks like the cones have gone; left-hand lane's a little tight now past Severn Road.

@Racerroy - That was always the plan - can't have traffic coming over the new bridge and up Lichfield Street and avoiding all those shiny new traffic lights now can we?

Levity aside it's about time it was made one-way - far too narrow for two-way traffic; particularly the levels that would be using it post Tesco, Housing Estate and bridge.

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neilhar says...
6:11pm Fri 4 May 12

Flip. The order was extended until today. they went this afternoon but will return. Left lane reduced as left pavement made wider. there really is a pinch point outside the lawnmower shop now too. everyone seemed scared of it. Remember, they have to make the scheme look like it works, irrespective of driver and pedestrian safety.

Lichfield st will be an almighty rat run if left two way and dangerous. although I will use it to leave town once the bridge is open.

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Shibdrift says...
8:38pm Fri 4 May 12

Let's encourage tourism in Stourport - come and spend a weekend stuck in the car watching the pretty lights change colour. People making all these decisions should not be let out unsupervised!!!

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lynBewdley says...
9:31pm Fri 4 May 12

I live in Bewdley and work in Worcester, so am obviously quite used to the traffic through Stourport (not happy, used to!) - on a particularly bad day I can start queueing at Sandy Lane. Can somebody explain to me how the new bridge is going to help? The same amount of traffic is going to end up on the top bit of Mitton Street after the new lights, and if Tesco ever opens there will presumably be more traffic. Oh, and of course, if we have pedestrians crossing further joy! I can see that my only alternative will be to bypass Stourport altogether (meaning I don't stop for any shops as I do at the moment) and either come home via Kidderminster or the back way.

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stour67 says...
4:25pm Sat 5 May 12

lynbewdley you need to go the switchback and shawley then over the bridge at holtfleet save loads of time.

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FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
9:14am Tue 8 May 12

@lynBewdley: The queues down Worcester Road have two main causes - the traffic from Hartlebury Road and people incorrectly stopping at the entrance to Mitton Street. Using the new bridge will avoid these two congestion points in favour of a set of traffic lights that guarantee passage.

@stour67: Provided the bridge isn't closed due to flooding or some such. I've pointed out many times the irony that a journey of 3 miles through the town at peak evening traffic often takes the same amount of time as a trip of 12 miles around the back.

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Walls_ says...
11:38pm Fri 11 May 12

i think i may be one of very very few people who will benefit from the new bridge and road layout. I can now come and go without going past any shops or hopefully traffic jams..... Thanks Mr Tesco :)

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FlipC - The Mad Ranter says...
9:15am Mon 14 May 12

Just for information. From the 50mph sign on Worcester Road to the 30mph sign took me 40 seconds to travel. From there to exiting the island (the same distance of 0.4 miles) took me 3 minutes 50 seconds. From there to entering Mitton Street (0.1 miles) took me 50 seconds. From there to Lion Hill (0.2 miles) took me 40 seconds.

Even taking into account the change in limits I assume everyone can see where the hold-up is. So adding lights slightly further down the line is hardly going to be helpful.

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