New Cambuslang roundabouts plan welcomed

Feb 3 2010 by Kenny Smith, Rutherglen Reformer

NEW roundabouts at a busy Cambuslang junction are being considered by South Lanarkshire Council.

At present, long traffic queues are forming on Langlea Road and Hawthorn Walk at peak travelling times as motorists try to get on to Brownside Road.

The problem has been exacerbated since the opening of the new Cathkin High School building, with parents who drop their children off at the school adding to the congestion.

But now South Lanarkshire are considering the creation of new mini-roundabouts at the junctions of the three roads.

A spokesperson for the council said this week: “The proposed mini-roundabout arrangement for Langlea Road/Brownside Road/Hawthorn Walk is part of a traffic-calming scheme associated with the residential development off Hawthorn Walk.

“The traffic-calming scheme is subject to public consultation, which should be undertaken within the next few weeks.”

Cambuslang Community Council chairman Jack Taylor said: “This is long overdue. This area has had a long history of traffic queues, and I’m very much in favour of this plan.

“If you are coming down Langlea Road and looking to turn right, you really are the poor cousin to everyone else on the road.

“You’ve got to contend with traffic coming three ways - coming up Hawthorn Walk, as well as facing the traffic coming along Brownside Road, both ways. It’s terrible.

“Creating these new roundabouts would be very welcome in the area.”

Janice Sharkey, a resident of Hawthorn Walk, is well aware of the problem, and is familiar with the roundabout at the bottom of Hawthorn Walk, where it intersects with Dukes Road and Calderwood Road.

She said: “It’s not perfect but the problem wouldn’t be so bad if the road users could remember that traffic coming from the right has the right of way.”

Creating the new roundabouts could also help with the problem of speeding on Brownside Road.

Many cars accelerate through the area where the roundabouts are being proposed.