HEAVY traffic was reported in the Latchford area of town earlier today, Friday, as a swing bridge over the Manchester Ship canal stuck for a second day.
Yesterday the Chester Road swing bridge was stuck partly opened causing lengthy traffic delays on Chester Road, while today, the Latchford swing bridge stuck as parents prepared to embark on the “school run.”
Residents campaigning against the council’s controversial central 6 Low Traffic scheme, which earlier this week saw Grange Avenue closed to through traffic, took to social media, highlighting the issues being caused on the local road network.
Commenting on the latest in a long line of incidents impacting on local road networks Rachael Harper, Petition organiser against the Central 6 Low Traffic schemes said: “Things like this just proves why so many are against the central 6 street plan. It doesn’t and won’t work on a practical level. Warrington does not have the infrastructure for such things given the volume of traffic that passes through it.”
Meanwhile Westy Central 6 campaigner Jayne Savage added: “Just another day that proves the pollution aspect isn’t actually being solved by closing roads that have always been used as an overflow for a one-way village that can only be accessed by bridges, either over the Manchester Ship Canal, or over the Mersey.
“Whilst today was due to the Bridge getting stuck, and the other day is was an incident on Kingsway – it highlights the need for diversionary routes – we don’t have a fly-over, or a ring road. I have taken 40 minutes to do an 8-minute trip – I could almost see my home on Grange Avenue, I just couldn’t reach it. Cars trying to leave residential roads and Lidl had to rely on someone seeing/caring enough to let them out. Cars used pavements in anger and pedestrian crossings were blocked. Sort out Grange Avenue – put a no HGV sign, put in a 20 limited, put in a crossing for the kids – just get the road open!”
The bridge has since re-opened.
Traffic queuing on Kingsway
