PLANS to make a busy Bolton junction easier for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate have been given the go-ahead – as town hall chiefs pledge to make the borough’s highways safer.
The junction of St Peter’s Way and Bridgeman Street in Bolton can be dangerous for those without a vehicle to pass through, especially at peak times.
Bolton Council will receive £1.8m in its third phase of a town centre junction upgrade scheme, the SBNI Bolton Delivery Package 5 (DP5), to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists to tackle the crossroads.
New traffic signal infrastructure, pedestrian facilities and segregated cycle lanes will be installed.
The St Peter’s Way and Bridgeman Street junction
Reacting to approval for the works, Cllr Stuart Haslam, highways executive member, said: “It is all about trying to improve the flow of traffic to the town centre, particularly at some junctions. At the end of the day though, the most important category is road safety.
“That’s got to be the number one priority for all the forms of transport schemes we have. We have to make sure pedestrians and cyclists are safe as they possibly can be.
“At the moment we do not have proper pedestrian crossings in some places.”
Cllr Stuart Haslam
Funds for DP5 (the Manchester Road Gateway) are provided by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority with the latest phase being given the green light by the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership Board.
DP5 also involves two cycle optimised protected signals junctions at Manchester Road/Bradshawgate/Trinity Street and Newport Street/Trinity Street.
Phase one of the scheme involved work at Crompton Way, completed in May, and phase two in Newport Street got underway in May and is set to be finished next summer. The St Peter’s Way and Bridgeman Street improvements are due to be completed next summer too.
The fourth and final phase, on Bradshawgate, is expected to get off the ground in spring next year and finish around 12 months later in early 2022.
Cllr Haslam wants pedestrians and all types of road users to benefit from the scheme.
He also stressed the importane of town centre public realm works and added: “We need to get a sensible balance between all forms of travel. Each one is important."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel