A TEMPORARY roundabout replaced traffic signals at the Wanneroo Road-Joondalup Drive intersection following last weekend’s road closure.
Main Roads has advised a temporary traffic signal will operate on Wanneroo Road northbound to help with the afternoon peak traffic.
“The closure and reconfiguration of the intersection to a temporary roundabout was the result of extensive planning and communication over a number of months,” spokesman Dean Roberts said.
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“As with any change in road layout, we encourage road users to be vigilant, approach the roundabout at the appropriate speed and give way to the right.
“Traffic volumes on Wanneroo Road during the afternoon peak period will be carefully monitored and a temporary traffic signal will be activated if necessary to regulate traffic flow.”
The weekend works included permanent closure of right turns at the Drovers Place and St Stephen’s Crescent junctions on Joondalup Drive.
The roundabout will remain until mid-2020 while the Joondalup Drive bridge is built over a permanent roundabout on Wanneroo Road as part of the $50 million interchange project.
UPDATE, July 17: Readers gave mixed feedback on the Times Facebook page, with one saying it was “smooth sailing” into Joondalup and another saying they were “just waiting for a crash in peak hour”.
One said she couldn’t “see oncoming traffic until right on the roundabout” and thought it would be a “nightmare in peak hour”.
Another said it was “just a normal roundabout”.
“The barriers make it a little hard to see, plus people who don’t indicate will make this a accident waiting to happen,” another reader said.
Another said the merging lane was “too short”.
“It will be interesting to see what will happen when the school holidays are finished and traffic is back to normal,” she said.
Mr Roberts said the current roundabout was a temporary arrangement to enable construction of the bridge over Wanneroo Road, which on completion would take more than 50 per cent of traffic away from the intersection.
“Traffic appears to be flowing well since the opening of the temporary roundabout and there is already a reduction in congestion levels during the morning peak,” he said.
Mrs Roberts said Main Roads would continue to monitor traffic flow and impacts, reminding road users to follow traffic management and thanking them for their patience during the works.
