Traffic lights were added to both of the Bagshot Road arms of the Bracknell Leisure Centre roundabout on January 26 in order to ease traffic flow, but since then drivers have said it has made the junction dangerous.

Both residents and motorists have said the lights force traffic to back up on the roundabout when red, meaning drivers travelling around the junction either have to brake sharply or swerve into another lane when trying to carry on their journeys down Bagshot Road.

Amy Barnes, who is from Woodley but travels to Harmans Water every day to visit her grandmother, said she is just waiting for someone to drive into the back of her on the roundabout.

She said: “I think the traffic lights have made the roundabout 10 times worse and it can be very dangerous at times. When people are waiting at the traffic lights, other drivers probably don’t realise there will be queueing on the roundabout so will have to swerve out of the way or brake very hard. It just doesn’t flow.

“I am just waiting for someone to go into the back of me - it is just an accident waiting to happen. There needs to be signs warning people there may be queueing on the roundabout or the traffic lights need to be used at peak times only.” However Bracknell Forest councillor Chris Turrell, executive member for highways and transport, said that they were still testing the phasing of the signals.

He said: “It does take people a little while to get used to a new configuration of the roundabout.

“I will have a word with our engineers about the phasing of the lights to see if they can make any adjustments. Obviously we want people to see the benefits of these changes so we will work hard to resolve any issues.” Meanwhile, alteration work is to start on another major junction in the town. Following the announcement last July that the Coral Reef roundabout would be replaced by a four-way crossroads controlled by traffic lights, work will begin on the junction at the end of next month.

Funded by a £7m Government grant, the first phase of the project will begin with the dismantling of the roundabout, with the scheme expected to be completed by the autumn of 2016.

The work phases have been designed to limit the impact in traffic flow, although there will be some disruption at times.

The speed limit on Bagshot Road will be temporarily reduced to 40mph to improve the safety of both the workers and drivers.

Residents and businesses can see plans for the junction at The Look Out Discovery Centre, Coral Reef Waterworld, the community centres in Crown Wood and Forest Park and Sainsbury’s in Bagshot Road.

For more information visit www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/coralreefjunction