Floating crossing a traffic-stopper

  Here's one way to slow down traffic. A small fishing village in Iceland has painted an amazing, 3D pedestrian crossing on one of its ...

 

Here's one way to slow down traffic. A small fishing village in Iceland has painted an amazing, 3D pedestrian crossing on one of its streets. The crossing, in the fishing town of Ísafjörður in the Westfjords, looks like it floats some distance above the street. Confronted with this unusual sight for the first time, motorists are liable to bring their cars to a screeching halt, in fear of running into the obstacle. Gautur Ívar Halldórsson, manager of Vegmálun GÍH, a road painting company that created the crossing, said the idea had originated in the Indian city of New Delhi. Similar pedestrian crossings have been painted in China, India and Russia. Town environmental commissioner, Ralf Trylla, said he had come across the idea while researching novel ways to slow down traffic. He explained that even with a 30km/h speed limit, traffic in the narrow residential streets of the old village, still travelled too quickly and needed to be slowed down. Council has not decided whether it will commission more of the 3D crossings. Not surprisingly the pedestrian crossing has apparently become a popular spot to have your photo taken.