Safety concerns over Angouleme Way junction in Bury

Traffic signals on the junction where Angouleme Way, Jubilee Way and Manchester Road meet went out in two occasions in the last week, on Saturday and Monday.

The outages led to frustration from motorists with one comparing driving through without traffic signals “like Wacky Races".

“The problem with the traffic lights was caused by a faulty cable joint, which has now been fixed", a council spokesperson said.

Road works, which began last month at the junction and are set to carry on until February to make it more pedestrian and cycle friendly, have also contributed to traffic regularly building up in the area.

But worries have been aired over the state of the junction at the moment.

Bury North MP James Daly said: “The traffic light outages are not only a serious safety concern but also causing disruption on this key road for Bury residents.

“The council need to get a grip of the situation and make sure this unnecessary junction redesign doesn’t cause even more disruption.”

On social media, people's anger over the junction was clear to see.

One resident said: "I don't even know what they're trying to achieve here.

"The junction was fine as it was.

"More wastage of our hard-earned. Like the junction near the college.

"What an absolute mess that is now!” 

Another added: “There was nothing wrong with that junction so why do it?”

A third said: "(I) drove round there today (Monday), it was like Wacky Races."

The work on the junction is being completed to make it easier and safer for school children them to walk or cycle from one side to the other.

The work began on August 15 and is due to take up to six months.

Last month, a council spokesperson said: “These roads are crossed by hundreds of students every day on their way to St Gabriel’s, Bury Church and Bury Grammar schools.

“The revised layout will make it easier and safer for them to walk or cycle from one side to the other. The work will take six months and measures will be taken to minimise disruption to traffic.”

A second scheme is underway in Prestwich, as new pedestrian crossing facilities will be provided at the busy Bury Old Road/Heywood Road junction and new pedestrian/cycle facilities at Bury Old Road/St Margaret’s Road.

A third scheme is also scheduled for later this year for the building of a new bridge over the River Roch at Lower Gigg to replace a privately-owned bridge that has long been declared unsafe.

These projects, totalling £3.5m, have been funded by the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Walking and Cycling Challenge Fund, and are part of a programme of initiatives to encourage more people to walk and cycle.