Gyratory decision coming soon

8:30am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Gina Bebbington

THE fate of Northwich’s controversial one-way system will be decided by the council’s ruling group within the next few weeks.

The experimental gyratory system, which has turned Northwich town centre’s main roads into a giant roundabout, has been in place for 12 months.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) launched the 18-month trial at the end of January last year to see if it would work and how it would be received by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

Tweaks were made to improve the system after it had been in place for six months and a further consultation was held in November.

A CWAC spokesman said: “We’ve been collecting data and feedback and highways engineers have completed their report.

“This report contains data from engineers, their view of it and also feedback gathered in November from members of the public “It will be going before the council’s executive group rather soon, within the next few weeks, and it will be for executive members to decide whether or not to make it permanent.”

Residents’ views differ widely on the effectiveness of the system, with Guardian readers emailing and tweeting their comments to us.

Lesley Harvey said: “One year on and it still does not work.

“The town is too small and there is little or no escape from the one way system if it becomes clogged.

“Traffic is regularly backed up on Chesterway coming into the town and coming the opposite way from Castle on to the Town Bridge is still confusing with motorists wanting to change lanes on the bridge.

“CWAC put it back to the way it was, if you’re going to spend money messing about with our road system fill in the potholes.”

Nathan McGahern tweeted: “An absolute nightmare; queues, traffic fumes, leaving for work 20 mins earlier than I used to, poor signage, scruffy town.”

But others think the gyratory works.

Dean Warbz tweeted: “I dont mind it. Flows better than the old system if people use it correctly.”

Andy Priestly tweeted: “Generally much better especially since the tweaks made last autumn.”

Comments(15)

100246 says...
10:09am Wed 6 Feb 13

The new road system has some good points but for me it has by far too many disadvantages and I definitely would like to see it go back to how it was before.

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INEEDTOSAYTHIS says...
7:30pm Wed 6 Feb 13

I hope they listen to the public.....and not the biased engineer reports!!.....that don't reflect the everyday traffic jams at peak times.

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tuggy16 says...
9:09pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Return it to it's former self.They tried it and by all accounts,it is not as good as it was,most of the public liked it the way it was.
It has turned out to being a complete waste of money.As someone said the money would be better spent repairing all the "POT HOLES"

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AntiNimby says...
1:50am Thu 7 Feb 13

It's been an absolute nightmare especially at weekends. When the town flooded several times last year and they shut the road past the old Regal it was gridlock. Please CWAC see sense and put it back how it was!

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northwich1972 says...
11:03am Thu 7 Feb 13

Well if they do change it back (which I do want) then waitrose would be p*** off because there's little reason to go past there. That's why I think it will stay. The staff at coop told me they have had a drop in business when the new system went in.

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100246 says...
11:53am Thu 7 Feb 13

11.00am this morning Hayhurst bridge closes, traffic comes to a stand still for well over 10 minutes with no alternative route. In amongst the traffic was a ambulance with its blue lights flashing Please see sense and lets have two way traffic over both bridges

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Joe Reacher44 says...
1:15pm Fri 8 Feb 13

No matter what road system is adopted there will always be queues at busy times. The current one-way sytem is unstable simply due to the fact that when a bridge is open traffic comes. At least with the old 2 way system some traffic could move. What will happen when one of the bridges becomes stuck open?

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Sliver says...
4:53pm Mon 11 Feb 13

I moved to Northwich from Warrington in August last year. I have never experienced a problem with the one way system since living here. Having lived in Warrington all my life and having the experience of 3 swing bridges to contend with on a daily basis, Northwich is heaven in comparison.

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tuggy16 says...
8:09pm Mon 11 Feb 13

WELL Sliver,all I can say is "You are easily pleased"

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100246 says...
8:38pm Mon 11 Feb 13

Silver
Which area of Northwich do you live,
what time do you travel and which direction do you travel?
A lot depends on the above whether it's good or bad

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Sliver says...
3:00pm Tue 12 Feb 13

@tuggy16
I'm not easily pleased, I'm voicing an opinion.

@100246
I live in Rudheath, I travel through the town and out towards Barnton during peak hours.

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100246 says...
5:57pm Tue 12 Feb 13

Sliver
Thanks for the info
I do the same trip Mon to Fri at 8.25am and it was very much better with the old system when you could go over town bridge and straight up Winnington hill. Now when there is a problem at either London rd junction or Hayhurst bridge you are stuck with no alternative. Plus it adds half a mile onto the journey approx 20p x5 =£1 per week over a year I would prefer to have £50 minimum in my pocket

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100246 says...
7:09pm Tue 12 Feb 13

Re above post
I also intended to include a journey from Rudheath to Watling St. doctors surgery and then onto the Victoria infirmary hospital on Winnington lane. Now this involves TWO circuits of the system, before it was a very short journey
Its not difficult to see which is the best system

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tuggy16 says...
7:58pm Tue 12 Feb 13

Sliver,I don't think you grasp the meaning of the old system.
Yes, Warrington has 3 bridges but they are two way,whereas the bridges in Northwich are one way therefore if one is closed there is no other way to get through the town.

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Sliver says...
8:17pm Tue 12 Feb 13

@tuggy16
My grasp of the 'old system' is fine thank you. I don't think you want anyone to voice an opinion that is not exactly in line with your own. If you look at my original post, you will notice that I said I have never experienced a problem with the one way system, that does not mean that I will not in the future however, I am entitled to leave a comment on here if I so wish. I have no opinion on the 'old system' as I never experienced driving through it , there must have been some problems with it, otherwise why would the councill have tried such a radical move as changing to the one way system.

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