A PEDESTRIAN traffic island along the city s ring road is to be reinstated after pressure from local people and councillors. Herts Highways removed the pedestrian refuge in Beech Road between the King William pub and the Total garage early last year becau

A PEDESTRIAN traffic island along the city's ring road is to be reinstated after pressure from local people and councillors.

Herts Highways removed the pedestrian refuge in Beech Road between the King William pub and the Total garage early last year because of perceived danger from turning lorries.

But the decision caused an outcry because it left nowhere safe to cross due to the difficulties in manoeuvring the three-way traffic lights at the Beech Road/Sandridge Road junction.

Nearby resident Jenni Johnes maintained it was more dangerous going the long way round the pedestrian phase of the junction traffic lights than crossing at the refuge where to her knowledge, and others who had lived in the area for many years, no-one had ever been injured.

This week Herts Highways confirmed that the pedestrian refuge would be reinstalled and local people had been notified.

A spokesperson said that it had been frequently hit by heavy goods vehicles but on balance and because of the public interest, it was felt that not having a crossing there would cause more of a problem than the original refuge.

She added: "As well as reinstating the refuge, which should be within the next two weeks, we are also going to make some alterations to the road markings around it in an attempt to make the feature more visible."

Mrs Johnes thanked everyone who had joined the battle to get it reinstated particularly local district councillor Salih Gaygusuz and described the outcome as, "a good and just result".