A traffic island in one of Swansea's most popular suburbs has been ridiculed online after it was pictured in a terrible state only a month after being installed.
The Uplands suburb contains a busy road linking the city centre to the Gower, and there's a large amount of vehicle and pedestrian traffic in the area.
Barriers had been put there as a temporary measure almost three years ago. They were aimed at preventing drivers from turning right from Uplands Terrace onto the busy main road, lowering the possibility of accidents and improving traffic flow in the area.
Read more: The review of the year in Swansea: The big things that happened in the city in 2021
After major roadworks saw queues as work got underway to replace temporary plastic barriers in the road, in November, 2021, a new grass-covered island surrounded by kerb stones appeared.
Now the island has ironically been dubbed 'the village green' on social media with a sign placed there saying as much, alongside large water-filled gouges caused by tyres driving over it. Another person described it as the Uplands Canal. And someone has put a model porg - one of the creatures from Luke Skywalker's island in Star Wars: The Last Jedi - in the water that has filled up the deep tyre tracks.
One local resident commented that they had seen a large lorry mount the island as it overtook a stationary bus at the nearby bus stop.
The current island is said to be just a temporary measure, with bushes and more planting set to be introduced to discourage pedestrians crossing and bring more colour to the area.
But one commentator, Twin Town co-writer Paul Durden, said he believed: "It was obviously thought up by people who either just don’t care or just haven’t got a clue". He even advised pedestrians to bring their own "pair of waders".
Uplands councillor Peter May argued "the council was asking for bad publicity" when it did "half a job" installing the new island.
"The grass was put down as a temporary solution with the promise that bushes would follow to give it some height, to act as a deterrent to both vehicles and passengers," said Councillor May.
"I wasn't pleased that it was left unfinished. The reason that I was given was that the road had to re-open to ease traffic congestion for the fireworks display. It wasn't even on bonfire night and lasted barely half an hour.”
"The roadworks lasted three weeks and the traffic arrangements caused disruption to both road users and traders for which I had numerous complaints. They have been left underwhelmed with perception that the disruption was not worth it as only half a job has been done."
"It needs a sooner rather than later approach now to resolve it" he said.
WalesOnline approached Swansea Council for comment.
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