WORK will start on Tuesday, May 6, on a major project to introduce new bus priority measures along the A49 Winwick Road, Warrington, from Long Lane to Winwick Street.
Delivered through Warrington’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), the scheme is a key part of the council’s ongoing investment in sustainable transport and its commitment to improving bus travel across the borough.
It will see the implementation of new bus gates, new sections of bus lane and improvements to walking and cycling facilities on the A50 Long Lane westbound (towards Junction Nine Retail Park) and the A49 Winwick Road southbound (towards the town centre).
The plans aim to enhance bus travel by reducing journey times and making services more reliable while minimising the impact on other forms of traffic.
The number of existing lanes for cars will not change. The project will involve building new carriageway and remodelling the current road space to accommodate the bus priority measures. Motorists will not lose any lanes of traffic, and car journey times are expected to remain approximately the same. Sections of carriageway will be resurfaced as part of the works, leading to improved driving conditions.
The initial phase of the works, which will include carriageway resurfacing, will commence along the A50 Long Lane, in front of Warrington and Vale Royal College, and extend along the east side of the A49 Winwick Road (southbound) to the Tesco/Mike Gregory Way junction.
To minimise disruption as much as possible, most of the carriageway works will be carried out between 9.30am and 5.30pm, outside of the morning rush hour. Where possible, traffic management measures will be removed outside of these times to allow for smoother traffic flow. However, as the scheme progresses, there will be times when certain roads will need to be closed, and full diversions will be put in place.
Upgrades will also be made to key traffic signal junctions. The traffic signal junction at A49 / Long Lane will undergo minor improvements, while the junctions at A49 / Longford Street / Kerfoot Street and A49 / Tesco / Mike Gregory Way will receive full traffic signal upgrades.
During these upgrade works, the existing traffic signals will be temporarily switched off, and temporary traffic signals will be used to manage traffic flow while the new systems are installed.
The works are due for completion by the end of this year, with the anticipated schedule as follows (all dates are subject to change):
• Long Lane to Collegiate Road (exit) – May to October 2025
• Collegiate Road (exit) to Corbett Avenue – August to November 2025
• Corbett Avenue to Watkin Street – August to December 2025
• Watkin Street to Oliver Street – May to September 2025
Warrington Borough Council leader and cabinet member for transport, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “This scheme is an important part of our ongoing work to improve bus travel across Warrington. Alongside this, we are dedicated to investing in sustainable transport options, and this project also includes significant enhancements for both pedestrians and cyclists.
“The improvements will not only make bus journeys faster and more reliable along this major gateway into Warrington, but will also create a more attractive, vibrant and accessible area, better equipped to accommodate the needs of all road users, whether they travel by bus, car, bike, or on foot.
“We understand that works of this nature can cause short-term inconvenience, and we apologise for any disruption caused while this work is carried out. We will be working hard to minimise this disruption as much as possible as we move forward with delivering this crucial transport scheme, which will bring long-lasting benefits for Warrington.”
The borough’s investment in bus priority measures aims to deliver several key objectives and benefits, including:
• Enhanced access to social, leisure, cultural, and employment opportunities by public transport and active travel modes.
• An increase in the number of people using buses, walking, and cycling.
• Reduced congestion, leading to lower carbon emissions and improved air quality, as more people shift to sustainable modes of travel.
• Reduced bus journey times.
• Improved reliability and punctuality of bus journeys.
• An increase in bus usage on services operating on the A49 and across the borough.
Members of the public and other stakeholders who wish to receive regular updates on the progress of the works can email [email protected] to be added to the email distribution list or complete the online form at warrington.gov.uk/a49-travel-improvements
1 Comment
Surely they mean 9.30 pm to 5.30pm to avoid rush hour and not 9.30am – 5.30pm?