MOTORISTS will soon have to contend with temporary traffic lights as work is carried out at the South Western Road and Fisherton Street junction in Salisbury.

Work will see a bollard installed at the corner of the footpath alongside “further deterrent paving” to help make it easier for drivers to navigate the turn from South Western Road into Fisherton Street.

The footpath beneath the railway bridge will also be reduced following concerns it was too steep for pedestrians.

The kerb at the Fisherton Street junction with South Western Road is a minor celebrity in the city, as it even has its own devoted Facebook group to monitor the many cars that fall victim to its design.

The kerb itself, called a Trief kerb, is raised and is designed to stop HGVs from mounting the pavement when traversing the area in a bid to protect pedestrians.

But many motorists fail to take notice of the raised kerb and scrape up against it, causing thousands of pounds in damage.

READ MORE: Salisbury’s killer kerb in the spotlight as council claims no concerns raised through audit

READ MORE: Salisbury’s Aldi to reopen later this week

The kerb saw a refresh last year under a scheme to create a more welcoming environment for pedestrians when they walk towards the city centre from the railway station.

Wiltshire Council previously told your Salisbury & Avon Gazette that an audit of the scheme had not raised any issues, but the council now said that the installation of a bollard comes following a post-completion safety audit of the Fisherton Gateway improvements, which primarily focused on enhancing pedestrian safety in the area.

The council said that the safety audit did not raise any concerns regarding the positioning or use of the trief kerb at this junction, nor did it identify any issues with vehicle movements in this area.

“However, a section of kerb that has been damaged by vehicles mounting the pavement will be replaced as part of the routine maintenance,” a spokesperson said.

During these works the damaged pedestrian railings on the opposite side of the road will be replaced.

These railings are in place to prevent pedestrians from falling into the road from the higher pavement and need replacing, as they have been struck by vehicles.

Councillorr Martin Smith, Wiltshire Council cabinet member for highways, said: “This is a key junction providing access to the railway station and city centre, with approximately 11,000 vehicles passing under the Fisherton Street railway bridge each day.

“It is important that the infrastructure installed at this location supports pedestrian safety, especially with the recent opening of Fisherton Car Park for South Western Railway customers, which has increased footfall in the area.”

Temporary traffic lights will be in place from next Monday, August 18 to August 26 which will be manually operated from 8am to 5pm each day.

A lane closure will be required throughout the works.

Once the footpath works have been completed, the lane closure will swap to the other side to enable the railing replacement works to take place.