Drivers say a council’s confusing new road lanes which cost £10million, looks like a “magic eye picture”. The new markings include a two-way cycle lane and a bus lane in the middle of the road as well as double yellow lines and a path for pedestrians.
The work on Fosse Road North in Leicester is part of a major overhaul a main artery into the city costing £10.4million. But it has been branded a “waste of money” by motorists who say it is confusing and could cause crashes.
Leicester City Council received hundreds of comments from furious drivers after they unveiled the new road markings.
One said: “Perfect example of how to take a perfectly usable road and create chaos.”
Another wrote: “Wow!! The cycle lane is twice as wide as the actual road…Combined with the new traffic lights at Stephenson Drive junction, this has congestion written all over it.”
Another social media user said: “Another complete waste of money.”
Meanwhile another said: “What in the hell have you done to this road!? Thought you were making it less confusing – not more.”
The changes are part of the scheme to improve the area around Five Ways Junction by the A50 to allow pedestrians and cyclists to have their own designated lanes along with buses cars and other vehicles. The scheme is expected to cost about £10.4 million and will be part paid through a mix of Enterprise Zone funding through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP), and the Transforming Cities Fund following the city council’s successful bid for £32 million.
City highways director Martin Fletcher defended the new road markings, saying the design complied with all Department for Transport specifications for lane width. He said: "The thousands of bus users who use that route every week they are going to see a much-needed benefit in terms of waits.
"In real terms it isn't much of a change in terms of traffic flow. The two-way flow is still there; it is still as it was.
"We have just repurposed some of the road space and widened the footpath and roadway to give us that extra width for the bus bypass lane to get to the junction quicker."
