£500,000 ‘ghost roundabout’ slated by motorists for its confusing layout
The roundabout has been described as an 'urban crop circle' with concerns it only increases the chances of a crash
A BIZARRE "ghost roundabout" that was part of half a million pounds of road calming measures has been slammed as confusing for motorists - with concerns that it will only increase the chances of a crash.
The circle, described as "the world's smallest velodrome", was built in an attempt to have motorists slow down, thinking they were approaching a roundabout.
The bizarre feature, which was part of £500,000 road works, uses bricks to create what appears to be a roundabout - with half of it on the pavement and the other half on the road.
But the feature, on Tenison Road in Cambridge, has been mocked online with motorists saying it looked like "an urban crop circle".
More serious concerns have also been raised with motorists saying it was "a disaster in the making".
Matthew Morrison said: "Looks like a safety disaster in the making, road users need clear and consistent layouts.
"Road users need less distractions and less detail. Are you going to notice a hazard when you are wondering what the hell is going on with the road?"
Another confused driver, Abigail Booth said: "What a stupid idea! Looks like an extension of the path, what if someone thinks that then gives them right of way to walk and they get knocked down!
"What happened to speed bumps or cameras! Looks an eye sore."
Another, Andrew Simpson tweeted: "accident waiting to happen".
But road safety expert Richard Owen said the concept was worth experimenting with.
He said: "The lack of white lines and the other normal trappings of a roundabout is a deliberate attempt to make drivers think twice as they approach it.
"No one has seen anything like it before, but as long as it's not misleading people dangerously, then it's perfectly acceptable to experiment with it."
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The road, near the Cambridge railway station, was closed for traffic calming works earlier this year and reopened on Friday.
A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesman said: "An alternative approach to calming traffic through place making and environmental changes was always the aim of the Tenison Road scheme.
"This was supported and promoted throughout the development of the scheme by the local steering group made up of councillors, residents and other stakeholders, such as representatives from the Cambridge Cycle Campaign."
The spokesperson added: "The unusual nature of the design has clearly attracted attention for its unique appearance, which aims to influence the behaviour of motorists using the road by reducing their feeling of certainty about the road environment.
"The various feature areas also aim to break up the linearity of the street and remind drivers that Tenison Road is a residential street."