I refer to the article ‘2012 Boat Park Scheme for Bay’ (Echo, July 17). At last a clear explanation for the traffic scheme being imposed on Weymouth and Portland with supposed benefits for the town.
The alterations to Kings, Westham, Harbour and Foords roundabouts, with the changes to the clock tower junction and that of Rodwell/Wyke Road are purely cosmetic.
The intelligent traffic lights have but one function, as does the Upwey/Broadwey bypass. This is underlined by the lack of a Weymouth and Portland relief road from Manor roundabout to Ferrybridge, plus Buxton and Portland Road being designated as a freeway for the duration of the Olympics.
The function is to deliver the boating community to The Esplanade/ boat park, the Pier and Osprey Quay, without too much involvement with Weymouth pedestrians and traffic.
When everyone has gone home and the dust has settled Upwey/ Broadwey will have a tangible benefit.
Melcombe and Weymouth will have a set of intelligent traffic lights on grandiose road junctions.
The connection of the King Street underpass to the beach side of The Esplanade would have given the clock tower junction some merit.
The 300 metres between the Harbour junction and that of Wyke and Rodwell will be the same.
Traffic through Rodwell, Buxton and Portland Road will continue to increase.
Portland, hopefully, will be allocated some of the cost-price housing freed from the Olympic Village. The canteen and press centre will become a school.
The school will be a mixed blessing as it closes the only gap left across the north face of the island, the last opportunity for an alternative much-needed route to Underhill and Tophill.
As for the millions spent at Osprey Quay, stand at the corner of the Masonic Hall, look to the Quay and gaze across Victoria Square, up through Castletown, Chesil and Fortuneswell. As it is now, so it will be.
For the borough a golden opportunity wafted away. A group of road works to match Victoria Square, Portland and the King Street underpass.
JOHN ROGERS, Grove Road, Portland
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