AN accident waiting to happen... and yes, it almost happened a week ago when I was driving to Waitrose in the right-hand lane, passing Lidl on my left.

The dual-carriageway suddenly sprouted a third lane about a month ago, tucked in on the right at the roundabout.

Why?

It would be OK if the third lane continued on to the roundabout, but it doesn’t.

So from that lane you are thrust into the centre lane causing a risk of collision, not to mention road rage!

Three into two doesn’t go.

Gazette:

Is everybody heading for Waitrose expected to get into this silly third lane at the last minute, because if so who has the right of way?

I have been in the now-middle lane signalling right, only to find a car from that new lane on my shoulder trying to get onto the roundabout and loudly blowing his horn at me.

Where was he heading?

Ipswich or Waitrose or anywhere further west?

London perhaps.

I have seen near misses on more than one occasion.

There’s going to be a serious fatal accident, with a pile-up in the not-too-distant future, so can whoever sanctioned this start thinking again, pretty smartish, in order to avoid this, something that is obvious to most other people, including a police driver I know.

We need to know who came up with this stupid idea and it needs removing.

Sylvia Sellers

Fairfield Gardens, Colchester

Editors note: Essex County Council plans show the layout of the road does include three lanes travelling across the roundabout in both directions. 

To see the road layout plan click here.