AFTER all the money that has been spent and 11 months of disruption, what has been achieved by the reconstruction of the roundabout at Rawcliffe, A19/A1237 junction?

There are still endless queues of traffic back to the Millfield roundabout at Poppleton and to the one at Clifton Moor. These queues were not as bad with the old roundabout and more sensible road markings. Now we have all Harrogate, Leeds and Thirsk-bound traffic using the same lane in one direction and all Scarborough, Hull and Thirsk-bound traffic using the same lane in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, the lanes designated for York and Park and Ride are devoid of traffic most of the time.

For goodness sake let's see some common sense. West-bound traffic on the A1237 coming on to the roundabout should be divided between York, Park and Ride, Leeds and Harrogate in the left-hand lane and Thirsk-bound traffic in the right-hand lane. Similarly, eastbound traffic divided between York, Park and Ride, Scarborough and Hull- bound traffic in the right-hand lane and Thirsk-bound traffic in the lefthand lane. This is the arrangement which applied fairly successfully before the costly reconstruction. The massive tailbacks only started when the road works began and they have continued ever since.

A L Rowntree,

Walmer Carr,

Wigginton, York.

Updated: 11:11 Thursday, February 21, 2002