There is an ongoing problem with road drainage on the South-bound carriageway – During periods of heavy rain, a large puddle forms over the nearside lane approaching the traffic lights.
As already identified in previous reports, the cycle path is narrow at this point (too narrow for cycles to safely pass one another). The introduction of a third lane (right turn filter) and traffic separation island on the south-bound carriageway cause the traffic to ‘bunch-up’ at this point, leaving vehicles little room to manoeuvre during busy commuting periods.
The result of this (usually compounded by simultaneous incident occurrence) is that a large wave (often produced by a commercial vehicle) is sent crashing into the unfortunate cyclist, temporarily blinding and unstabilising the rider.
Clearly this could have serious implications in the event that the rider is forced off the cycle path into the high-speed traffic flow (which comprises vehicles being driven fast in an attempt to negotiate the junction while the traffic lights are in favour). There would be little (or no) time for drivers to respond.