Member Article

Public consultation regarding Birchwood ‘pinchpoint’ traffic congestion

As part of the Growth Deal for Cheshire and Warrington LEP announced by the government on 7th July, Warrington Borough Council secured funding to improve three key junctions along Birchwood Way (A574) in Birchwood.

The ‘Pinchpoint’ scheme will address a long standing traffic congestion problem along this corridor which is constraining local economic growth and investment in this area. The scheme will also reduce journey times for bus services as well as improving accessibility and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

The proposals consist of improvements to the Oakwood Gate ‘Dog bone’ and the Moss Gate roundabouts, as well as the introduction of a bus gate at Faraday Street roundabout to provide a bus only link to Ordnance Avenue.

At the Oakwood Gate ‘Dog bone’ junction, the main proposal is to introduce full time signals at the Birchwood Way eastbound approach to the junction, which will help to address peak time congestion.

For the Moss Gate roundabout, several options were considered with the preferred option being to convert the existing roundabout into a signalised junction as this would give the most benefits for all users and would help to reduce peak time delays.

There will be new crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists as well as the introduction of advanced stop lines for cyclists on two arms enabling safer connections between the Business Park and the residential areas to the south. This is a significant improvement to the existing junction and will result in benefits to residents and workers.

The new bus gate will provide a connection between the Faraday Street roundabout and Ordnance Avenue and allow shorter and faster bus journeys between north and south Birchwood and greatly increase the options for local bus companies in planning their routes.

No other vehicles would be permitted to use the bus gate. This would be enforced through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who use the route illegally. The bus gate will not form a straight route but will instead be a meander to create visual and noise screening between Ordnance Avenue and Birchwood Way.

Overall, the council expects that the proposed schemes will reduce delays and congestion in the Birchwood area on a day-to-day basis – a benefit to residents and employees of the business areas.

Comments on the proposed scheme are invited over the four weeks (4th September to Monday 6th October 2014). The survey is online at www.warrington.gov.uk/consultations.

Further information and plans on the scheme can also be viewed on the website. In addition to this, a series of drop-in public consultation events are planned for the following locations:

· Birchwood Shopping Centre – Thursday 11th September 12:00 – 19:00 near ASDA.

· Birchwood Shopping Centre - Saturday 13th September 12:00 – 14:00 near ASDA.

· The Centre, Birchwood Business Park – Thursday 18th September 11.30 – 18.00.

· The Centre, Birchwood Business Park – Tuesday 23rd September 11.30 to 18.00.

Paper copies of the consultation survey can be provided from Contact Warrington on Horsemarket Street, from the drop-in events, or comments in writing can be sent to:

Email: LTP@warrington.gov.uk

Post: Birchwood Pinchpoint Schemes

Transport Planning and Development Control,

Freepost RTJE-KZXJ-TSEG

Warrington Borough Council,

3rd Floor New Town House’

Buttermarket Street, Warrington, WA1 2NH.

The public drop-in events will take place in the following locations:

· Birchwood Shopping Centre – Thursday 11th September 12:00 – 19:00 near ASDA.

· Birchwood Shopping Centre - Saturday 13th September 12:00 – 14:00 near ASDA.

· The Centre, Birchwood Business Park – Thursday 18th September 11.30 – 18.00.

· The Centre, Birchwood Business Park – Tuesday 23rd September 11.30 to 18.00.

The consultation period ends on Monday 6th October 2014.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .