Work begins on town centre active travel schemes

Work is getting underway on two active travel schemes aimed at making town centre travel safer and smoother, with a more welcoming and attractive environment for all.

Fully funded by the government’s Town Deal programme, work is about to start on the Sankey Street Gateway and Bewsey Road improvement schemes. It forms part of a much wider sustainable travel plan for Warrington, which is promoting more walking and cycling in and around Warrington town centre.
The schemes seek to encourage walking and cycling by upgrading footways, segregating pedestrians and cycle users, resurfacing the carriageway, and making local journeys, including for local primary schools, safer and more accessible.

Key features of the schemes are:

• The Sankey Street Gateway project will enhance public spaces, improve accessibility, and support ongoing regeneration in the town centre. It will widen footways, add greenery, improve the look of the area and remove traffic from Hilden Square. The works will begin on Monday 20 April and are expected to run for approximately 25 weeks.
• The Bewsey Road improvement scheme will create a safer, more accessible active‑travel corridor by introducing a two‑way segregated cycleway, improving junctions (including at Bewsey Road / Froghall Lane) and fully resurface the carriageway along the whole of Bewsey Road. It will also add safer pedestrian and cycle crossings to local primary schools and link the new CYCLOPS junction at Lovely Lane to routes towards the town centre from West Warrington.  These works begin on Tuesday 5 May and are expected to run for approximately 16 weeks.

Council planners say both schemes will be delivered in carefully planned stages to minimise disruption as much as possible.
Warrington Borough Council Leader and cabinet member for transport, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “These improvements are a key part of our work to make the town centre an easier and safer place to get around. Better footways and clearer cycle routes will bring big benefits for everyone, including families walking to school and people cycling in the heart of the town.
“These government-funded projects will help us create a more modern, accessible environment that supports both our local businesses and our wider goals for a healthier, more sustainable and more attractive town centre.
“All schemes of this type will cause some short-term disruption, but we’ve planned the work in stages to keep things moving as smoothly as possible. I want to thank everyone in advance for their patience while we carry out these essential improvements.”

Residents and businesses are encouraged to sign up for gov.notify updates to keep up-to-date with progress on both schemes via warrington.gov.uk/sankeystreet and warrington.gov.uk/bewsey-road