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Residents hit out at 'bonkers' wiggly road markings in seaside town

Confused locals in Clevedon, Somerset, have claimed their seaside town has “bonkers” road markings.

Bemused locals have questioned the use of wiggly white road markings in Clevedon, Somerset. (SWNS)
Bemused locals have questioned the use of wiggly white road markings in Clevedon, Somerset. (SWNS)

Confused residents of an English seaside town have hit out at the council over "bonkers" new road markings.

The white wiggly lines, laid down in Clevedon, Somerset, have been described by locals as a "hot mess" and accused of looking like a “driving lane for drink drivers”.

North Somerset Council has defended the new road markings, saying they are designed to make the road feel narrower, slow down traffic and prevent unwanted parking.

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North Somerset Council has defended the new road markings. (SWNS)
North Somerset Council has defended the new road markings. (SWNS)

The markings were added as part of plans to introduce a new beach-front cycle path along the seaside road.

The road scheme has seen a 400-metre segregated cycle lane installed to remove cyclists from the promenade.

The plan is to remove traffic from the town's seafront which features several brightly coloured homes.

The new cycleway will form part of the Pier to Pier link between Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon, with the road next to it also being made one way.

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Residents are not happy with the lines, with one person saying: “The road layout is a hot mess, the cycle lane is next to the pavement, then there is parking, then out other side of the road is normal one way traffic.”

Another local added: “I kid you not, the squiggly lines are opposite driveways to allow vehicles to swerve to get round and into their drives without crossing the white line.”

North Somerset MP Liam Fox described the scheme as a “shambles” and urged council chiefs to kill off the project and apologise to the people of Clevedon.

The Save our Seafront (SOS) group has also handed a detailed report listing safety concerns about the layout to the Department of Transport, asking it to intervene.

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: “This is one of the most bizarre new road schemes we’ve ever seen.

"We fear North Somerset Council is making waves for all the wrong reasons as their new wavy road markings could accidentally prove to be a road safety risk due to the confusion they create for drivers."

The road layout has been described as a “hot mess”. (SWNS)
The road layout has been described as a “hot mess”. (SWNS)

A North Somerset Council spokesman added: "The lines are a design feature to reduce the potential abuse of parking at these locations and help make the road feel narrower, which is a technique used to slow traffic speeds.

"In this case, the area is adjacent to the sailing club entrance so needs to be kept clear.

"A wavy line provides uncertainty to the driver and is proven to help reduce unwanted parking."

The squiggly lines are due to be finished with a surface treatment in the spring.

A petition against the seafront changes has also collected more than 6,000 signatures.