Safety fears as traffic lights replaced with roundabout made of cones at busy Walsall junction

The roundabout near Junction 10 of the M6 in Walsall is in place instead of traffic lights while roadworks are carried out.

Walsall Council is installing a new pedestrian and cyclist crossing at the junction of Bentley Road North and Wolverhampton Road West as part of its 'Connecting Bentley' scheme.

The lack of lights to control the flow of traffic has prompted concerns from drivers over the layout of the road and that people are travelling too fast.

On Wednesday, two vans were involved in a collision which left one on its side and saw the driver taken hospital.

Since the crash, the roundabout has been altered with new barriers and signs to help warn drivers about the temporary layout.

Walsall Council is now considering extra measures to slow down traffic as it approaches the junction in a bid to improve safety. A spokesman for the authority said the roundabout was chosen instead of temporary traffic lights "from both a safety and an operational perspective".

Mike Flavell, 52, who saw the aftermath of Wednesday's crash, is among the drivers concerned about the safety of the junction.

He said: "The roundabout has made the flow of traffic better, however, it has greatly reduced the safety of crossing the junction and using the nearby side roads.

"Without the lights, motorists have no reason to slow down and quite often speed up if there is a gap.

"I expect that I will suffer my first crash here, and fear there will be a fatality, it is so worrying."

Traffic at the junction is also currently higher than normal due to the long-running roadworks taking place at Junction 10 of the M6, with the junction used by many to access the motorway.

The Junction 10 work is to build a new roundabout over the motorway in a bid to reduce congestion while the work on Wolverhampton Road West is to improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Both schemes have caused disruption since last summer.

A spokesman for Walsall Council said: "The temporary roundabout has been installed at Bentley Road North and Wolverhampton Road West to facilitate the installation of an upgraded crossing for pedestrians and cyclists.

"Temporary signals were considered however the current arrangement was assessed to be a better solution from both a safety and an operational perspective.

"The recent incident that took place is being reviewed and additional measures to slow down traffic in the lead up to the island are being considered.

"Phase 2 of the Connecting Bentley scheme is nearing completion at the junction and we expect the new signals to be operational by the end of the month."

The aftermath of last week's crash prompted a strong response from residents on social media.

Becky Skelding commented: "It’s been an absolute mess ever since they had a bright idea of narrowing the road for a bike lane that probably won’t be used much an turned the lights off to use an 'island'.

"It’s going to take someone getting seriously injured or worse for them to do something about it.

"The amount of cars that fly over there like it’s still a normal traffic lighted junction is unreal."

Tracy Higgins added: "This island terrifies me each time I approach it."