Gridlock warning on road changes

It involves a section of road already "modernised" by the council several years ago which resulted in traffic jams at peak times near the Town Hall plaza.

Currently, a narrow slip-road allows traffic to turn left from Ship Hill into Westgate - resulting in queues for motorists wanting to go straight on into Corporation Street.

Now officials want to stop traffic turning left onto Westgate - and make another change to the system which drivers fear will cause gridlock.

Highways officers want to reduce two lanes to one, feeding traffic from Moorgate Street into Westgate and Main Street. They plan to create a bigger pedestrianised area in the process.

The council says it wants to reduce pedestrian accidents and keep unwanted traffic out of the town centre.

But the Civic Society, the watchdog group monitoring changes to Rotherham's town centre buildings and roads, says the changes will mean motorists endure lengthy queues.

A spokesman for the Civic Society said: "Our society has failed to persuade the council to drop a scheme which, in our view, will increase traffic congestion in the town centre."

A spokesman for Rotherham Council said: "The proposals are part of the Westgate 'Demon-strator' project in which we intend to create a wider footway on Westgate, between Ship Hill and Main Street.

"The intention is to help reduce an accident problem which has resulted in a number of pedestrian casualties.

"We hope that through pro-active traffic management motorists will be encouraged to avoid using the town centre unnecessarily, to travel through to other destinations.

"At the same time, the town centre will still be accessible to those wishing to visit it. The timescale for these works has not yet been determined."