A new ‘Red Route Clearway’ to improve traffic flow and safety near the popular Winwick Car Boot Sale is set to come into force this Bank Holiday Monday (August 25th).
Warrington Borough Council is introducing a new Red Route Clearway, a traffic order designed to improve road safety and reduce congestion on key routes in the borough.
The new restriction will become operative on Monday, 25 August, and will cover the A49 Winwick Link Road, a section of the A49 Newton Road between M62 Junction 9 and Winwick Link Road, Winwick Park Roundabout, and Delph Lane.
The Red Route Clearway creates a “no stopping” zone on the specified roads, including on the carriageway, footways, and verges. The restriction, indicated by signs featuring a red cross on a blue background, prohibits all stopping, including for loading and unloading.
While laybys on Winwick Link Road will remain unchanged, blue badge holders are not permitted to stop and park, as they would be on a double yellow line, and taxis are only allowed to stop in designated bus laybys for pick-up and drop-off.
The new traffic order is being implemented in response to dangerous parking behavior, particularly on weekends when the popular Winwick car boot sale is in operation. Large volumes of vehicles have been observed parking on the grass verges and central reservations of the A49 and Newton Road, as well as on Delph Lane and the Winwick Park Roundabout.
This has created a number of significant issues, including:
• Blocked access for customers and deliveries to and from the nearby DIY Superstore and adjacent Drive Thru.
• Increased safety risks as pedestrians cross dual carriageways at inappropriate locations, often emerging from between stationary vehicles.
• Significant congestion and delays due to vehicles impeding the flow of traffic.
Warrington Borough Council Leader and cabinet member for transport, Cllr Hans Mundry, said, “We know the car boot sale is a popular event for the community, and we want to ensure it doesn’t cause safety issues. This new traffic order is not about stopping people from attending, it’s about ensuring motorists park responsibly.
“The new Red Route Clearway will help improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians, ensure traffic flows smoothly, and ultimately reduce the kind of unnecessary congestion we’ve seen on these routes.”
Motorists attending the car boot sale are also reminded that they must not perform a U-turn on the A49 before the traffic signals at Townfield Lane. A number of drivers have been seen doing this, which can cause conflict with southbound and right-turning vehicles and lead to significant delays for all road users.
1 Comment
actually, I believe Blue badge holders can park on double yellow lines where it is safe to do so.