Try your luck on Magic Roundabout

I have only resided in the Telford area since 2007 after retiring, prior to this my job and training required me to drive hundreds of miles per week for over 25 years.

Confused? Perhaps you should avoid Swindon's Magic Roundabout.

I consider myself to be a very experienced driver having driven all manner of vehicles from cars to vans, lorries of all sizes, including articulated vehicles, and mini buses to coaches.

Whilst I have been here the one thing that has struck me about drivers in Telford was that they appear to lack any road sense whatsoever and on approaching traffic islands tended to pick any lane that suited, totally ignoring any lane markings and making turns without any indicators expecting other drivers to use a crystal ball as to their intentions.

I have used the M54 Junction 4 on innumerable occasions prior to the recently completed road-widening scheme and was glad to see that the council decided to widen the approach road from the A4640 Castle Farm Way to the island and the exit road leading towards Shifnal and I have to say I think this work was long overdue.

I feel the comments and criticism being levelled at the new road scheme are totally unjustified and if drivers use their common sense and look at the advanced warning directional boards to see where they intend to go, approach the island and then using the correct lane as per the Highway Code. The new arrows on the road surface then point the driver into the correct lane as he or she traverses the island to their intended exit route. If any Telford driver feels confused about using Junction 4, I would suggest a trip to Swindon and try their luck on the aptly named“The Magic Roundabout.

This junction was constructed in 1972 and consists of five mini roundabouts located around a central anti-clockwise running island. If the M54 makes you confused then I can guarantee that Swindon will certainly give you a headache.

The other major road improvement recently completed is the Clock Island in Donnington, not far from where I reside, and this is one job that certainly required doing.

Stuart F Fletcher, Telford

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