Driven to Despair

Drivers may be stuck with a gridlocked Enoggera intersection - slammed as one of the worst in the state.
An RACQ survey of more than 2600 drivers last week identified the Wardell St/Samford Rd crossroads as one of the state's five worst Red Spots of congestion.
Motorists, businesses and community leaders want the peak-hour chaos fixed, but the State Government maintains upgrades between 2010 and mid-2012 would be subject to funding.
A Main Roads spokesman said a recent study had identified options to improve traffic flow manage future growth on Samford Rd between Settlement Rd and Wardell St.
Options include constructing a left slip lane northbound on Wardell Street into Samford Road to improve traffic flow in the area.
Brisbane City Councillor Andrew Wines (Enoggera) described the northwest bottleneck as a ``rat race’’ and said he was surprised the intersection was not highest on the RACQ list.
``Most of the traffic problems in this area stem from this one intersection,'' he said adding the crossroad should be replaced with an overpass and it should be top priority.
Local police said the intersection was even a frustrating point of congestion on weekends.
Enoggera News manager Andrew Holcombe, who works near the troublespot, said he would like to see it given priority attention to improve traffic flow.
``Peak hour is pretty shocking. In the morning it’s chockers on Samford Rd and in the afternoon it’s shocking coming from Ashgrove and Samford Rd outbound.
``I avoid this intersection like the plague, especially in peak hour.’‘
Stafford resident John Lynagh said his trips from Ashgrove in the afternoon were slowed considerably because of the lengthy traffic build-ups at the intersection but he said the delays were often made worse by the attitude of some drivers who didn’t have patience for other drivers on the road.
The Main Roads spokesman said:  ``Earlier this year, changes were made to the timing of the traffic lights at the intersection of Wardell Street and Samford Road and the intersection of South Pine Rd and Stafford Rd.
`` These changes have helped reduce travel times in the afternoon peak for northbound traffic on Wardell St.’‘
Resurfacing works along Samford Road between Wardell St and Osborne Rd are to be completed by the middle of next year.

Source: whereilive