CONSULTATION begins this today on a £242m scheme to improve the trans-Pennine Woodhead route which includes changes to the McDonald’s roundabout at Tankersley.
Work has been going on for several years to try to find the most effective and affordable way of improving the road, with the major changes on the Manchester side of the Pennines aimed at tackling traffic congestion there.
But Highways England planners know that if traffic speeds are increased in one area, it can create hold-ups elsewhere and a major overhaul of the Westwood roundabout, where the A61 meets the A616, is planned to try to improve the flow of traffic in that area which already has rush hour snarl-ups.
The full proposals by Highways England can be seen at a public consultation event tonight (Monday) at Tankersley Welfare Hall, on Pilley Lane, which will be open from noon to 6pm.
Consultation documents and response forms are also available at Barnsley Central Library, Penistone Library, Tankersley Post Office, as well as online via the Highways England website. Responses must be submitted by March 25.
The biggest part of the improvements include new single and dual carriageway roads between the M67 and Woolley Bridge on the A57 near Glossop but special planning permission will still be needed before it is allowed to go ahead.
Highways England says the major scheme is needed as the existing route connecting the M67 at Mottram to the M1, north of Sheffield, mostly consists of single carriageway sections with steep gradients and sharp bends, causing ‘a number of negative issues for local people’.
It also said sections of the route can be badly affected by poor weather and accident rates are above the national average, with the road often closed for these reasons meaning the road is not as reliable as it should be.
Highways England also believes a lack of technology in the area, such as electronic information signs, means there is little information available for road users to make decisions about their journey.
All responses will be analysed and compiled into a report which will form part of the planning application and will be made available following submission of the application.
An application is expected to be made by winter 2018/19 and, should approval be granted, works will start on the link roads in 2020.
