Parkhills junction and Radcliffe Metrolink Station plans announced

A total of £1.85M has been earmarked for the borough to improve the transport network for pedestrians, cyclists and Metrolink users.

Just over half-a-million pounds will be spent on the Parkhills Road junction where the mini-roundabouts will be replaced with signals.

Under the scheme two mini-roundabouts to signalised junctions with ‘green man’ pedestrian crossings, one at Market Street and the other at Wilson Street, to make it easier and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to cross busy roads.

The improvements are part of a wider package of active travel improvements being delivered in Fishpool and Pimhole with funds from the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Fund.

In Radcliffe £1.25m will create a new access ramp to the east side of Radcliffe Metrolink stop for walking, wheeling and cycling and a new crossing on Church Street West.

The scheme will provide a direct route from the East Lancashire Paper Mill housing site to the Metrolink stop, the proposed new high school and other north-bound active travel routes.

As it currently operates, anyone accessing the Metrolink stop has to do so via the western access to come through the underpass.

The Radcliffe Metrolink Active Access Package scheme will complement a wider package of active travel improvements that we will be consulting on later this year and for which there is £9 million of funding available to the council in Greater Manchester’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement programme.

The new projects will be funded by a £40M pot funded by Active Travel England (ATE) and  the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, which transforming the transport network across the city region for all, including cyclists and pedestrians.

They form part of the wider Greater Manchester Bee Network plan to create a London-style transport system.

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Radcliffe Metrolink stop has been earmarked for £0.6m of funding to improve access for walking, wheeling and cycling (Image: Isabel Oldman/ Newsquest)

The larger share of the cash will go towards a £1.25m Radcliffe Metrolink Active Access Package and a further £0.6m will be used to upgrade two junctions on Parkhills Road and Heywood Street.

Residents living in the Parkhills area have welcomed the plans for the junctions.

Hannah Sadler, 38, and Bethan Petzer, 43, both take their children to the nearby primary school and say problem parking, speeding, and careless driving near to the junction and in adjoining streets is putting children at risk.

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Bethan said: “[The improvement works] are good for us because we we’ve got little ones to take to school.

“They’ve just made this into a car park, lots of people park on the pavement and it’s really dangerous.

“To make that roundabout safer that would be really good.”

Hannah agreed saying there have been instances of cars crashing into garden walls on the road, which have had to be repaired.

She said: “It’s a bit dangerous, there are always near misses here and people beeping at each other.

“People drive really fast and park on the double yellows.”

She added that signage on the mini-roundabout could be clearer, as drivers sometimes don’t know whether to indicate when leaving the junction, especially when entering the nearby Rhiwlas Drive.

Another resident David Powell, said while he had not experienced too many issues when crossing the road on Parkhills Drive, he said signage for drivers at the junction should improve.

David, 65, said: “A lot of people don’t understand how the junction works.

“Maybe add a sign to say give way to the right, that’s the only problem I’ve seen with it.”

Cllr Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said: “We need to make it as easy as possible for people to walk, cycle and use public transport if we are to tackle congestion and clean up the air we breathe.

“This investment in Bury and across Greater Manchester will help us to give people better, more realistic and sustainable travel choices, which will also be good for our health.”