LETTER: Yaxley temporary traffic lights to blame for Peterborough gridlock - did Highways planning officer have an off-day?

I'm a former Peterborough resident who once lived in Alexandra Road, having commenced full-time education at Dogsthorpe Infants.
Gridlock near Serpentine Green this morningGridlock near Serpentine Green this morning
Gridlock near Serpentine Green this morning

I returned to the city on Saturday for a function in the Marriott near the Showground. On leaving I found entry to the southbound A1 blocked, with a diversion signed.

The object of a diversion is that it should be efficient and cope with the traffic so diverted. This didn’t, for it was a long queue from west of the City right through to Yaxley as vehicles edged forward, sometimes inches at a time.

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What caused this? A set of traffic lights in Yaxley beside a BP filling station only allowed a few vehicles at a time through. Once clear of this, traffic moved swiftly and efficiently.

Surely if a diversion sends many times the usual amount of vehicles in a certain direction, traffic signals should be adjusted to reflect a changing traffic flow?

People have places to be and schedules to keep, so shouldn’t have to suffer such incompetence. To be charitable, perhaps the chief officer who devised this diversion did so on a proverbial off-day?

Dave Ainsworth,

Barnstaple Road,

Romford.