A52 - A61
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Ordnance Survey map - Alternative aerial view
Where is it?
Just east of Derby city centre, where part of the fragmentary outer ring road meets the main radial in from the east, which connects to Derby's closest neighbour, Nottingham.
It was spotted by Alistair Beaton.
What's wrong with it?
Well, it's quite clearly half a job. Despite the direction the green primary route takes, the major traffic flow here is along the A52 - carrying traffic in and out of Derby from the east, where there are good links to Nottingham and the M1. But while the eastbound side has been endowed with a two-lane flyover, allowing a speedy exit from Derby, nobody has ever seen fit to provide the same for westbound traffic. Derby is therefore very simple to leave but not so easy to enter.
Why is it wrong?
Aside from the A52, the main contributor of traffic to the roundabout is the A61. Given that this lies on the north side of the junction, we can guess that it wasn't considered necessary for the westbound side to bypass the roundabout as the south side would be quieter. Quite logical really.
Well, so much for logic. The roundabout is busier than all that - much busier. And how do we tell? Why, Derby City Council have kindly filled the junction with a large number of cheery red, amber and green lights, so even the uninitiated can tell that it's a busy place. How kind.
What would be better?
A westbound flyover is the obvious answer but I doubt one is on the cards. You could experiment by converting the flyover to a two-way single carriageway, or even better use it for a tidal flow system, westbound in the morning peak and eastbound in the evening.
Right to Reply
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Rob Webster sees its good and bad sides:
Horrendous junction! It's far quicker to avoid the A52 for its last couple of miles heading into Derby from Nottingham through Pride Park - it involves a trip through a retail park but is far quicker - the local buses have started using the route instead. Going the other way though, the flyover is a fantastic relief after the city centre queues - round a 270-degree bend and then flat out at 70.
Mark Johnson brings good news:
Pride Park has improved things enormously, especially if you're going to the south of the city centre. But Eastgate isn't all that. If you're coming from the north-west, or planning to go along Nottingham Road or the A61, you'll be doing some hair-raising weaving along Eastgate.
With thanks to Nic Storr for information on this page.
