MOTORISTS face a “nightmare” eight months because of road works linked to the development of the Winnington Urban Village.

The claim comes from Phillip Evoy, clerk to Barnton Parish Council, who attended a meeting last week to hear details of the planned road works.

The works will be carried out at nine locations by McPhillips, civil engineering contractors awarded the contract to undertake the local authority highway works.

The Urban Village is being developed by Barratt Homes, David Wilson Homes, Morris Homes and Taylor Wimpey, and the road works are scheduled to take place between March and October.

Representatives from Northwich Town Council and Hartford and Weaverham Parish Councils were also invited to the meeting at the McPhillips site office at the development to update them on road works which could affect their parishes.

“It’s going to be a nightmare for months, with the hapless motorists from Barnton, Northwich and surrounding parishes facing another lamentable list of traffic management works,” said Mr Evoy.

The main route from Northwich to Barnton takes traffic over the single lane swing bridge across the River Weaver, and at the meeting Mr Evoy asked about a possible second bridge across the river to reduce pressure on the swing bridge and to cope with traffic from the Urban Village.

“I will be raising the vital issue of a second bridge at next month’s parish council meeting to seek the council’s approval to write to George Osborne, the MP for Barnton, to ask for his support and to seek help from other parish and town clerks,” said Mr Evoy.

“The swing bridge is decades old, and cannot be replaced because it has a preservation order on it.

“It has to be supplemented by another bridge, and we are desperate for this additional bridge over the river, which was promised when this development was mooted.”

The first works, which have already started, involve road widening, new pavements and street lighting in Winnington Avenue, work which is due to take 18 weeks.

Winnington Avenue is due to be closed from May 20 for 13 weeks for work to lay a new sewer.

The works also involve a new traffic signal junction at Bradburns Lane and Beach Road. The scheme will require work by BT Openreach lasting 10 days from March 30 and six days by Scottish Power from May 25.

Construction works for the road widening and installation of new traffic signals will start on June 22 and last 11 weeks.

Nine weeks of road works are due to start on August 31 for the installation of a new traffic signal junction at Burrows Hill and Beach Road.

A new footpath is due to be installed along Burrows Hill, work which is due to start on October 12 and last eight weeks.

New traffic signals are set to be installed at the junction of Winnington Lane and Winnington Avenue, with work scheduled to last eight weeks and start on August 24.

Work lasting 11 weeks from October 12 is scheduled for road widening and traffic signal works to the junction of Moss Road and Winnington Lane.

McPhillips said the dates are a guide only and could change.

A representative for the consortium creating the Urban Village said the developers would be commenting, in conjunction with Cheshire West and Chester Council, on the highway works in the near future.

A Cheshire West spokesman said the council would be working closely with the consortium to ensure the highway works were co-ordinated to keep disruption to a minimum, in conjunction with works taking place around Northwich.