- North Station roundabout in Colchester, Essex, is ‘UK’s most confusing junction’
A ‘monster’ junction in Essex with a record 48 traffic lights and a slew of near-misses to its name has been dubbed Britain’s most confusing roundabout.
Drivers unfamiliar with North Station roundabout’s blast of signs and road markings have found themselves heading into oncoming traffic.
As more lights have been added to control the rising traffic at the junction in Colchester, it has overtaken the record of 42 sets at Grovehill Junction in Beverley, East Yorkshire.
Councillor Martin Goss said: ‘There are dash-cam videos on the internet of vehicles going in completely the wrong direction. Several drivers have dropped serious clangers. We need a safety audit.’
Councillor Goss added that the problem seemed to affect ‘molder motorists’ in particular, despite the current design being in place for 20 years.
North Station roundabout in Colchester, Essex, with a record 48 traffic lights and a slew of near-misses to its name has been dubbed Britain’s most confusing roundabout
Drivers unfamiliar with the junction’s blast of signs and road markings have found themselves heading into oncoming traffic
Hair-raising footage shared online shows motorists driving on the wrong side of the roundabout
Councillor Martin Goss said: ‘There are dash-cam videos on the internet of vehicles going in completely the wrong direction’
He added: ‘I guess it must be confusing for some people because they are going the wrong way and heading into traffic.’
Hair-raising footage shared online shows motorists driving on the wrong side of the roundabout.
Local Mary Adams said: ‘This is a monster of a roundabout — easily confusing as you have to swap lanes to go anywhere. Out-of-towners don’t stand a chance.’
In July, driving instructor Kieran Clarke, 36, was stunned to see a motorist incorrectly heading in the opposite direction on the roundabout.
Mr Clarke, who has taught drivers for 32 years, told the Colchester Gazette: ‘I’m sure there will be an accident at some point as this does seem to be happening regularly.
‘Thankfully I was in the other lane to the driver who was going the wrong way.’
Last month, fellow motorist James Clarke also caught sight of a driver goinf in the wrong direction on the roundabout.
Mr Clarke, who had only been driving for six months, said: ‘It was a shock. I find that roundabout very confusing at points, but not to the point where I’ve gone round it the wrong way.’
Essex County Council has been contacted for comment.