New hope for town drivers

Highways chiefs are to install a £250,000 system to control traffic signals over the next year in a move designed to slash journey times across Telford and Wrekin.

The council hopes the urban traffic management and control system will put an end to complaints from motorists.

The Ketley Brook Roundabout and Trench Lock Interchange are the two main sites for the system.

It would be installed by April next year and would link all traffic signals across the borough to a single nerve centre.

Computers would automatically adjust the lights' timing to keep traffic flowing.

The idea is to ensure motorists are not left fuming at lights when roundabouts are empty.

Telford & Wrekin councillor Sean Kelly said: "While the system will be live in 2009 it will take some time to roll it out across the borough as a whole."

He said the Ketley Brook Roundabout and Trench Lock Interchanges were the immediate priority.

Councillor Kelly said improvements had already been made at Ketley Brook Roundabout, with signal timings and an extra lane added to the southern approach on Whitchurch Drive.

He said that, from his point of view, if they were starting from scratch he would not want traffic lights but they were having to "make the best out of a bad situation".

Councillor Kelly said complaints about the roundabout and congestion after the traffic lights were first installed had been reduced since the initial changes were made.

But he said: "That is not to say the problems have stopped. I am fully aware those traffic lights are not working to the best of their abilities," he added.

Councillor Kelly, who is assistant cabinet member for environment and regeneration, said: "The most important point is to reassure people that traffic is still a priority for us.

"We are going to implement as soon as we can the urban traffic management and control system."

A Telford & Wrekin Council spokeswoman said: "The urban traffic management and control system involves any junction controlled by signals."

By Lisa Rowley