- Parishioners unhappy with addition of yellow line on the new granite circle in St Mary
- Commentators on JEP’s Facebook page describe it as a waste of money
- Former St Mary Deputy John Le Bailly denounces work as ‘absolute nonsense’
- Is it now safer for motorists? Take part in our poll below
A GRANITE traffic calming measure in St Mary which has been heavily criticised and branded a waste of money has raised eyebrows again – after a yellow line was painted over it.The circular section of raised road outside St Mary’s Church – built as part of the first phase of a £800,000 village improvement scheme – has caused controversy among many Islanders who said it was an unnecessary use of taxpayers’ money.
Others said the shape of the structure, which cost £250,000 and includes an artist-designed bronze plaque and granite imported from France, was confusing and could be dangerous because some were mistaking it for a roundabout.
Now, Transport and Technical Services have painted a yellow give-way line across the granite at the junction with the Rue de l’Eglise.
The move has been criticised online by some Islanders who said that the yellow line has made an already controversial scheme worse.
Meanwhile, Islander Clive Pearce said: ‘It beggars belief really. Import expensive lovely stone then paint it. What?’
And Ellie Andersson added: ‘Words fail me… Didn’t think it could get any worse , but I have been clearly corrected there.’
Although the scheme has been criticised, politicians, including Constable Juliette Gallichan and Assistant Chief Minister Philip Ozouf, have urged people to only judge the scheme once it is finished.
Chris Sampson, director of infrastructure and engineering for TTS, said the road markings had been planned all along.
‘We have to make the road safe,’ he said.
‘Whatever surface we would have put there we would have had to make it safe for people to use. It has always been a difficult junction – we have lowered the wall by the cemetery to try to make the junction safe.’
Work on the second phase of the village improvement scheme is currently being carried out outside St Mary’s school.
Former St Mary Deputy John Le Bailly described the latest edition as an ‘absolute nonsense’.
The parish also faced criticism for chopping down several trees to make a footpath as part of the scheme:
LOL who thought that one up,resign now pls.
I’m sure there is much better use for 800k or is that roundabout the thing that’s going to bring the visitors back
William Jocelyn
UFO landing pad
Bob Jameson
What a shambles! They’ve had to put the yellow line back as it was an accident just waiting to happen without it! If you were coming down past the pub car park, you actually took your life in your hands trying to join the main road
Shirley Syvret
Stop wasting our money. The black hole just gets bigger..
David Le Mottee
Looks awful, even worse than before!
Carol Hector
Words fail me… Didn’t think it could get any worse , but I have been clearly corrected there….
Princess Ellie Andersson
It beggars belief really. Import expensive lovely stone then paint it What!!!!! Bit like white washed coal in the army.
Clive Pearce
Waste of money and looks like a roundabout so very confusing
Linda Kelly
I assume someone got the sack for this monumental waste of money.
Having ridden over this on a bike and a motorbike, car and van I wonder if the Road safety man would like to comment????
Nigel Cave
I’m used to it now and have moved back onto wishing that more people voted and spent a bit of effort and got involved with 18 month consultation processes instead of spending 30 seconds moaning on Facebook after stuff has been built. If you hate driving over it so much, the road past the school will be back open soon and you’ll never have to know it exists.
Daniel Maletroit
What a waste of money, what is going on in Jersey?
Di Weatherly
