From Tim Clarke, Calbourne:

Having glanced at the proposed scheme to destroy the St Mary’s Hospital roundabout, I wonder if the responsible highway engineers actively dislike the populace?

The new multi-junction will simply transfer existing traffic delays to side roads, thus creating further problems.

Not only will it be complicated for motorists who are unfamiliar with its layout (holiday visitors?), but it will be controlled by signals rather than practical, quick-witted, human decisions.

Traffic lights also tend to increase congestion and near St Mary’s Hospital that will result in extra CO2 being emitted by idling engines.

Journey times will be longer, which may be irrelevant for IW councillors, but is quite important for ordinary people, and the emergency services.

Incidentally, roundabouts require relatively little maintenance, are environmentally friendly, and they enable long vehicles to change direction easily.

Whilst merrily misallocating £9 million, the council callously ignores rural death traps such as the Vittlefields Cross junction, which should have had a roundabout installed many years ago; Highways are currently reluctant to even stop the nuisance parking at Bouldnor, on the approach road to Yarmouth.

As for a partial solution for the Newport-Cowes route, just build a river crossing; either a bridge or a tunnel would allow Cowes and Ryde to be linked, and that would divert many cars and vans away from John Horsnell’s infernal creation, the Coppins Bridge log-jam.

£9 million is not enough for a Medina tunnel, but it would be a start. If the Treasury can cheerfully spend £85 billion on a fancy railway, the government should throw the Island some more small change.