Friday 14 August 2015
The Environment Department has previously notified its intention to comply with the request of the Chief Minister's Seafront Working Party to reinstate two lanes of traffic Southbound on the Quay. At that time the Department advised that its understanding was that the informal crossing was unlikely to be able to remain, as with the volume of traffic and the volume of pedestrian footfall, the informal crossing could not meet recommended engineering standards. The Department however realises the importance of the crossing and hence undertook to obtain expert advice in order to establish whether any options existed to enable the crossing to be retained.
In the expectation that the report would either identify means by which the crossing could be maintained or confirm that the crossing must be closed the Department programmed and commenced in part the works required to reinstate the two lanes of traffic.
The engineering report has now been received. The report clearly confirms the Department's previous understanding that with two lanes of southbound traffic the crossing could not meet design standards and that therefore it would be inappropriate to keep the informal crossing. However, the report goes further and states that neither can it recommend the removal of the crossing as this could overload other crossings, encourage pedestrians to cross at will and could further disrupt traffic flow.
As professional advice indicates that it is inappropriate to keep the existing crossing with two lanes southbound but equally inappropriate to close the crossing then, pending a long term solution which might include a review of all signalised crossings along the Quay, the implication is that the single lane should remain pending a long term solution OR that the crossing be retained with two lanes and the increased risk accepted on a temporary basis. One remit of the Seafront Working Party is to investigate holistic, long term solutions for the Quay area, but the Department is mindful of the desire for changes in the short term.
The Environment Department considers that it would be appropriate for the Working Group to convene to consider this report. As a result and pending the outcome of that meeting, the Department has postponed the works planned for this Sunday for one week until 23rd August.
