Residents and motorists are being urged again to have their say on major plans to improve Simister Island as part of a development which could cost up to £340m.
National Highways is looking at how to ease congestion and make journeys more reliable at the interchange.
More than 90,000 vehicles use the junction as a route to the M60, M62 and M66 on a daily basis, and the transport body is consulting on options for futureproofing the junction to continue supporting needs and economic growth.
In summer 2020, National Highways held a public consultation which included two options for Simister Island improvements with feedback favouring the Northern Loop option – a design that included a new link road to the north of the existing junction.
The Northern Loop was then announced as National Highways’ preferred route in January 2021, as it was able to support the scheme objectives of increasing traffic flow and reducing journey times.
Developing the scheme design has continued over the last two years, culminating in the latest six-week public consultation, running until Tuesday, March 28.
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A series of in-person events have been arranged as part of this, the first of which took place in late February.
The next event will take place at Our Lady of Grace Hall on Fairfax Road in Prestwich from 10am to 4pm on Saturday, March 11, with a further session scheduled for Unsworth Cricket Club on Pole Lane from 12pm to 8pm on Monday, March 20.
People can also get involved by joining an online webinar on Wednesday, March 15, or by raising any queries during telephone events today, Tuesday, or Thursday, March 23.
More details on joining these sessions are available at on the scheme’s dedicated webpage.
A consultation report will be compiled using the feedback received and that will then be used as part of National Highways’ Development Consent Order (DCO) application.
This application is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State for Transport via the Planning Inspectorate in winter 2023.
If the DCO application is successful, construction on the project, which is estimated to cost between £207m and £340m, is likely to start in late 2025.
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National Highways’ regional delivery director for the North West, Stewart Jones, said: “The Simister Island Interchange is a critical part of our investment in the North West, supporting economic growth by better connecting major cities across the north of England.
“The scheme is vital in reducing congestion now and in the future, improving safety, improving journey time reliability for all road users and increasing connectivity between local areas.
“We are keen to understand and take account of the views of all our customers, stakeholders and local communities.
"We’d like to thank those who have got involved thus far, and urge others to come along to our public consultation events to find out more.
“We’re also providing a range of alternative ways to speak to the project team, ask questions and, ultimately, give the most informed response to the public consultation.”
For more information about the scheme or to find out more about the consultation process and how you can get involved, visit www.nationalhighways.co.uk/M60-Simister-Island.
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