Roundabout work has drivers in jam

DRIVERS were facing long delays today at one of the city's busiest roundabouts, as work begins on the £2.2 million upgrade.

Workers closed one lane of Sheriffhall Roundabout and all its approach roads yesterday and imposed a 30mph speed limit as they began the major works.

The scheme will involve widening lanes and installing improved traffic lights and safety barriers over the next three months.

Queues were longer than normal this morning and yesterday, with motorists delayed for around 30 minutes during the rush hours. Despite fears of chaos, police said no serious problems had been reported.

The Association of British Motorists has called for the roadworks to be speeded up to minimise congestion. They said more work should be carried out overnight to cut the disruption.

The work adds to traffic misery in the east of the city, with drivers also experiencing long delays at the roundabout linking Seafield Road and Portobello Road. Some motorists have reported their journey times doubling.

The busy roundabout is being replaced by traffic lights in a £2 million project, which is expected to last five months.

Around 70,000 vehicles use Sheriffhall roundabout every day. This is likely to increase when the nearby Dalkeith bypass is completed next year.

Bruce Young, of the Association of British Motorists, said: "It's quite clear that this work is essential, but I'm very concerned because Sheriffhall is very busy at the best of times. I think the important thing is to schedule the work as quickly as possible, with intensive overnight work."

Chris Wright, 26, a customer services manager, was one of thousands of drivers caught in traffic jams during yesterday's rush hour.

He said: "It did seem quite chaotic. It was even slower than usual. Once I got on the roundabout it took ages to get round. I was about 15 minutes late for work, which is a bit frustrating."

Matthew Watt, 57, of Haddington, said the new roadworks added to the misery experienced by drivers in other parts of Edinburgh. He said: "I drive into the city every day for work, and I've been stuck in traffic all morning. It seems like the whole east end of the city has been closed off."

A BEAR Scotland spokeswoman advised drivers to leave extra time for journeys. She said: "There were no major delays experienced at Sheriffhall roundabout yesterday morning.

"However, as all approaches to the roundabout and the roundabout itself are now reduced to two lanes of traffic for the majority of the works, we would advise drivers to leave plenty of time for their journeys."

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