Motorists and pedestrians will have to navigate two separate roundels within the space of a few hundred yards on Douglas promenade.

Since it appeared earlier this month, the controversial roundel at the foot of Broadway has been turning heads around the world.

America’s Fox News ran with the headline ’British drivers baffled by bizarre roundabout painted on road’, pointing out there is no physical island or clearly defined lanes, leaving locals ’puzzled’.

Others have suggested the Broadway roundel isn’t round at all and should be tagged an oval-el.

Work is now well under way on a similar pattern of concentric painted lines on the junction of Church Road Marina, near the Sefton Hotel.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker MHK has said drivers will ’soon get used to them’ and the Department of Infrastructure has pointed out that the design principle was part of the planning approval, with visuals shared on the MyProm website since the scheme began.

Both roundels are sited within the 20mph speed limit for Douglas promenade and, says the DoI, will act to calm traffic.

lWord on the Street, page 10

lLetters, page 14