A MARLOW resident thinks he has ended the debate on whether traffic lights would improve car flow on Marlow Bridge by conducting his own traffic survey.

Mike Post took advantage of the road works on the bridge to take his own measurements of traffic flow. As part of the bridge works, which were completed last week, a temporary set of traffic lights was set up at each end of the bridge between 9.30am and 3pm. These were removed at night.

Mr Post, who lives on Bisham Road, was able to measure traffic across the bridge when the traffic lights were in operation. This could then be compared to traffic flow at all other times.

Mr Post said: "The two-way flow with temporary lights in place is between 600 and 700 vehicles an hour. That flow rate was measured on two occasions when there were continuous queues at both ends of the bridge.

"The normal maximum two-way flow rate is about 1,200 vehicles per hour."

According to Mr Post, this proves that permanent traffic lights would slow down the traffic flow across the bridge, rather than speed it up.

The road works, which were finished two weeks ahead of schedule, are intended to prevent heavy vehicles from crossing the bridge.

Vehicles weighing over three tonnes are prohibited from crossing, although there have been reports of 40tonne lorries on the bridge.

Heavy vehicles damage the bearings of the bridge, and could potentially cause a collapse.

The changes are designed to prevent lorries getting onto the bridge by installing bollards, widening the central island and narrowing exit lanes to prevent vehicles from slipping through on the wrong side of the road.

Bucks County Council's transportation area coordinator Si Khan said: "We are confident that these width restrictions will greatly reduce the number of heavy vehicles, mainly the 25 to 40tonne, travelling over the bridge and will preserve it for many years to come.

"This will also have a huge impact on reducing costly structural maintenance work."