Motorists might have to wait until 2020 before new plans to transform an accident blackspot in Newcastle are unveiled.
Long-debated changes at the Blue House Roundabout will remain on hold as the city grapples with its air pollution crisis.
Newcastle City Council had hoped to reveal its final vision to redesign the Gosforth junction this summer, but bosses now say it could be next year before that happens due to delays in their decision over an impending clean air toll to cut pollution in the city.
The authority’s 2016 plans to build a new ‘mega roundabout’ on the Town Moor were abandoned after huge protests, but there has been no news on its reworked proposal since the Blue House Working Group suggested an alternative idea in March 2018.
Lib Dem councillor Colin Ferguson, who represents Gosforth, said it is a “scandal” that the Blue House saga has dragged on so long.
He added: “We are left in limbo. By the time something comes out there will, rightly, be another period of consultation and consideration - so how long before work gets started?
“In the meantime, we are told that it is an accident black spot, that there is congestion and air quality problems.
“It seems to me like this stuff is being pushed into the long grass.”
The council’s original scheme for the Blue House Roundabout was abandoned after around 2,000 people attended a protest rally and tied ribbons to trees which faced being chopped down.
In response, the working group developed an alternative which would see the roundabout “tightened up” to have two lanes of circulating traffic, rather than three. If the junction did need to be enlarged in future, the group proposed developing over the landmark Blue House building itself.
While those plans remain up in the air, the next phase of a major upheaval at one of Newcastle’s busiest junctions will begin next month.
The council is pledging minimal traffic disruption during a £4m reconfiguration of the Haddricks Mill roundabout in South Gosforth.
The revamp will be a scaled-down version of plans revealed for the problem junction in 2016, repositioning the two existing mini-roundabouts rather than creating one giant one.
Maintenance is currently being carried out to waterproof a bridge before the main works begin.
Six roads converge onto the busy junction, which is used by tens of thousands of commuters each day.
The council will realign the lanes on approach to the junction to improve lane discipline, re-position the mini-roundabouts to increase capacity and install new pedestrian and cycling facilities, better signage and new intelligent crossing controllers and lights.
However, the plans were labelled “dangerous” for pedestrians and cyclists when they were announced in March.
Coun Arlene Ainsley, cabinet member for transport and air quality at Newcastle City Council said: “The preparatory works to the junction of Haddricks Mill are progressing well with the waterproofing and maintenance of the bridge. This is essential to preserve the lifespan of the bridge that the junction sits on.
“Once this is complete, the £4m package of improvements will begin from September and should last until early 2020. This work has been carefully planned to minimise disruption and we are committed to keeping two-way traffic on all approaches to this busy junction during the works.
“This investment is necessary to upgrade the junction, improve safety, reduce congestion and provide greener choices of travel to a key commuter route in the city.
“The investment in Haddricks Mill is part of a key corridor form Cowgate to the north of the city, including Blue House roundabout. We are developing proposals for Blue House which we expect to consult on either later this year or early next year following the results of our air quality consultation.”
