Paramedics sent after 'car hits traffic lights' at busy Shrewsbury roundabout in early hours
Paramedics were sent to the scene of a crash on one of the busiest roundabouts in Shrewsbury in the early hours of today.
The one-vehicle collision happened at Emstrey roundabout on the A5 at around 1.15am.
Police have said nobody was seriously injured and no arrests were made.
A Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: "SFRS Fire Control received a call reporting that a road traffic collision had taken place in Shrewsbury.
"One vehicle made safe by crews."
One fire engine was sent to the scene from Shrewsbury fire station, and crews used small gear to deal with the incident.
A West Mercia Police spokeswoman said: "We were called to the A5 Emstrey roundabout just after 1am this morning following a single vehicle collision. Nobody was seriously injured and no arrests were made."
A West Midlands Ambulance Service statement said: "One of our ambulances came across a car that had crashed into traffic lights at the junction of the A5 and B4380 at 1.09am.
"We assessed a woman, who was the driver of the car, who was able to be discharged at the scene."
It comes after it was confirmed last week that engineers are investigating the traffic light sequencing at the roundabout.
Phasing of the lights has meant drivers entering the roundabout on a green light on the A5 have often been met with a red just yards later, preventing them from continuing their journey and causing congestion around the junction. Rush hour has seen traffic queuing back beyond the Preston Island as drivers struggle to get over the roundabout.
Some motorists heading west on the A5 have also had to brake suddenly as they realise the lights on the roundabout are red and traffic is approaching from Atcham on the B4380, when they've expected a second set of green lights after driving onto the roundabout.
There have been several crashes at the island in recent years including one which caused damage to the lights, knocking them out of action for many weeks.
National Highways route manager, Joseph Walmsley, said: “We have been made aware of issues at the roundabout and are investigating whether changes can be made to the timings of the lights which would help ease the congestion," although no timescale has been given.
The issues at Emstrey Island have been compounded by roadworks on the A5064 just yards from the roundabout by the junction for the new Weir Hill development, where 135 homes are being built, causing traffic to queue down onto the roundabout.
Mr Walmsley added: There are temporary signals for roadworks on a local authority road, the A5064, which has resulted in traffic queuing back to the junction with the A5 and causing delays on the roundabout.”
The roadworks are being carried out by Openreach. A spokesperson said: “We’re sorry for any delays caused here. Our engineers are building new full fibre networks for nearby homes and businesses and temporary traffic lights are needed to keep them safe. They’re working as quickly as they can do and we’ll remove the lights as soon as our work is finished.”
Work is scheduled to continue until Wednesday, April 24.
Last month, similar problems were recently reported two miles away at the Bayston Hill Roundabout, otherwise known as Dobbies Island, where the A5, A49 and A5112 Hereford Road all converge.
Drivers complained about being stuck for up to an hour as they tried to exit the service station and garden centre located on the roundabout after National Highways admitted 'technology upgrades' led to congestion as drivers entered the busy roundabout only to get stuck halfway round.
Engineers have now fixed the problem with most drivers now able to get a clear run over the junction.
