Road junk-tion

'Bizarre' leaf redesign branded 'deadly'

- By Lauren Beavis

PEOPLE are fuming after a traffic junction described as a “deadly playground” was nominated for numerous design awards.

Consisting of two roundabouts and called California Crossroads, it was repainted with a leaf design at a cost of £5.5million to make it more pedestrian-friendly and encourage drivers to “move slowly”.

But it has caused anger among locals who say it is “an accident waiting to happen”. More than 1,400 people have demanded changes to the new intersection design in Finchampstead, Berkshire.

Disaster

However, the colourful revamp has been shortlisted for two categories in the Highways Awards and in the Placemaking Project category of the British Construction & Infrastructure awards.

The Highways gong categories are Active Travel Scheme of the Year and Line Marking and Street Design.

Wokingham Borough Council proudly said the junction has also been named Best Community Project in the Landor LINKS Active Travel Directory and Yearbook 2025-26.