Reader letter: The diabolical traffic situation in Duke Street needs sorting
Duke Street in Norwich is particularly congested during the evening rush (Picture: Google) - Credit: Archant
I write to complain in the strongest possible manner regarding the diabolical traffic situation in Duke Street, Norwich daily between the hours of 4pm and 7pm.
Since the inception of a lane closure to allow deliveries to the John Young's building site the entire area around St Andrews Street, Exchange Street, St Benedict's, Westwick Street, Redwell Street and Bank plain comes to a complete standstill for through traffic.
For the past three Thursday evenings, it has taken an average of 60mins just to get out of St Andrews car park onto Duke Street. On Friday evenings the queue reduces to about 40mins. It takes approximately a further 20mins to travel the 300yds along Duke Street to the St Crispins roundabout.
As a Norwich businessman with two retail shops, I rely on customers travelling into the city centre to shop. I now have customers telling me that they will not come into Norwich on a Thursday or Friday because of this traffic problem.
Who can blame them when it takes an hour and a half just to get from St Andrews car park to Old Catton?
The purpose of the lane closure is to allow deliveries to a building site. Despite searching through planning and highways notices, I cannot find where the authority was issued for this lane closure and it does not appear on the city centre roadworks map.
Should I wish to make a delivery to my shop, I have to do it outside normal business hours or accept a £70 fine. The site once completed will be of no benefit to me or 99.9pc of the people affected by the lane closure.
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Surely some consideration should be given to the commuters and shoppers who keep our city going. Deliveries to the site should made to cause as minimum disruption as possible to the greater public and outside normal business hours when a permanent lane closure would not be required. Whilst this may cause some inconvenience to the contractors and the eventual profit made from the finished properties reduced, it would be much fairer on commuters and shoppers whose only means of getting into the city centre is by car.
