Residents demand solution for problem traffic lights

CORNER-CUTTING drivers have knocked down a set of traffic lights six times in two years and residents are fed up.

Chloe McKeown, 14, uses the Luxford Rd and Palmyra intersection daily and is tired of the traffic lights being bulldozed constantly. Picture: Justin Sanson

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TRAFFIC lights at a notorious intersection in Lethbridge Park have been knocked down by corner-cutting drivers six times in two years.

The corner of Luxford Rd and Palmyra Ave has gained a fearsome reputation, with many locals trying to avoid the area.

A Roads and Maritime Services spokesman confirmed the repair bill was $10,000 every time the lights were hit.

Worried mother-of-five Jessica Bodt said “something needs to be done”.

Three of Ms Bodt’s children cross at the lights to access their schools, and she said the number of times the pole had been hit was unsettling.

Residents feel another accident is imminent due to how popular the intersection is. Picture: Justin Sanson

“I worry every day,” Ms Bodt said.

“I come down to meet (the children) but half the time I don’t know if the lights are working because I have walked them to school and come back and the lights have been knocked down.

“You don’t know how to cross because there’s no way of pressing the button.”

The RMS spokesman said the post was last replaced on September 30 after it was damaged by a “turning heavy vehicle”.

A truck driver navigates the infamous corner. Picture: Justin Sanson

It was the sixth accident at the lights in the past two years, the spokesman said.

After the latest incident, the pole was repaired and moved further back from the kerb.

But replacing it is not good enough, residents say.

Ms Bodt’s daughter, Chloe McKeown, said she feared the intersection.

“Sometimes ... I think the light’s going to change but it doesn’t and then I’m worried the trucks will turn and I will get hit,” Chloe, 14, said.

Chloe McKeown said she often feels scared she might get hit on her way to school. Picture: Justin Sanson

Neighbour Virginia Dixon said she had seen trucks and cars end up in front yards following accidents at the intersection and, subsequently, she has told her children they can no longer play in the front yard.

“They have to play out the back — you can’t risk it,” she said.

The RMS spokesman said: “If the pole continues to be hit, minor changes to the intersection design may be required.”