Northwich's trial gyratory will change in the next few weeks

8:30am Tuesday 10th July 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Gina Bebbington

CHANGES are in the pipeline for Northwich’s controversial one-way system.

A number of alterations will be made to the town centre gyratory, which is six months into its 18-month trial.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), which introduced the experiment to see if it would improve traffic flow, said it has been monitoring the system closely and is making the changes after surveys and user comments.

Clr Lynn Riley, executive member for community and environment, said: “We really welcome the comments and feedback we have received from residents, motorists and the travelling public, and these have been monitored from day one.

“All feedback helps us focus on how the new gyratory is working so that we can make changes to improve the flow of traffic around Northwich.

“As a result of this approach there are further changes planned in the forthcoming weeks as part of the trial to address some of the issues which drivers have raised and we have identified through our survey work.

“We believe these measures will help improve the safety and traffic flows around the town centre.”

The key changes will be: • To improve capacity the Chesterway traffic leading across London Road will become three lanes, with centre and outside right lanes having through access up to the bridge. Traffic will still be able to turn right into Dane Street.

• To reduce lane swapping the Weaver Way junction at the Bull Ring from Town Bridge direction only will be closed. Weaver Way will still be accessible via Dane Street and the top of town (Leicester Street).

• Alterations to lane markings along Watling Street to reduce lane swapping.

• New ‘Keep Clear’ road markings at junction of Navigation Road and Chesterway and outside the Co-op to help motorists to join the system.

• The Apple Market Street car park entrance will become two-way with the rear exit to the Bull Ring being closed. This will improve traffic flows at the Bull Ring junction.

The trial continues to be monitored anyone with any comments should ring the Highways Department on 0300 123 7036 or email wyvernhousecontactcentre@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.

The closing date for formal objections to the experimental order is July 30 2012. Comments should be sent to Planning and Transport, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Phoenix House, Clough Road, Winsford, CW7 4BD.

Comments(29)

Blooper says...
3:25pm Tue 10 Jul 12

This gyratory system is driving me around the bend

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AntiNimby says...
7:45pm Tue 10 Jul 12

Not being able to turn left after the Bridge makes the whole sham even worse. Those of us who live in Winnington/Castle/Ha
rtford/Greenback/Bar
nton etc who use that road would have to do an extra loop of theone way system. The idea behind it is to stop traffic changing lanes. Erm why not just put it back how it was? There have been lots of accidents since it came into force and it's killing the town. Please stop Flogging this dead horse!

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mrsc2412 says...
8:33pm Tue 10 Jul 12

so they're going to change the system to stop cars lane hopping - can someone explain to me how we get where we want to be without lane hopping - you have to change lanes, and stopping people going round the bank of mcdonalds will, really kill off Northwich. PUT IT BACK TO HOW IT WAS

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mrsc2412 says...
9:08pm Tue 10 Jul 12

so you drive down winnington hill - you want to go round the back of mcDonalds - to get there you have to change lanes to get into the lane to go round past the co-op to come over the bridge to go straight accross to get round the back of mcdonalds. who is making this up, are they getting paid for it and if so WHY. Northwich has had it. I've never in my life felt the need to voice my opinion on a public forum but these faceless people are helping to make Northwich a ghost town

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birtie says...
11:21pm Tue 10 Jul 12

I don't live in the area any more but still visit from time to time.

The whole one-way system really was poorly thought out and badly executed.

I can't help but think this whole thing has been one massive waste of public funds that could have been better spent on more important projects around Northwich.

If I were a tax payer, I'd demand a public enquiry and expect who ever made the decision to implement the one way system, to be sacked.

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tuggy16 says...
1:15pm Wed 11 Jul 12

I see it's back to the drawing board,more changes.

The best change would be to return the town back to NORMAL,that way WE can ALL get about.

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Daniel18 says...
6:03pm Wed 11 Jul 12

There's nothing wrong with the new system - its the drivers!
The closing of the Weaver Way junction will stop all of the drivers swapping lanes (Or in a lot of cases taking up both lanes!) - you will simply go up to Venables Road to access the car parks (and the back of McDonalds) - Hopefully it will also stop people parking on the double yellow lines all along the riverfront.

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widge says...
7:25pm Wed 11 Jul 12

It seems to me that the experimental system is marginally worse than the original.
I can't wait to see how they change the existing two lanes into three across London Road!

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mrsc2412 says...
10:15pm Wed 11 Jul 12

Daniel - do you drive? If you drive down Winnington Hill and want to go to Winsford - you have to change lanes. If you drive down Castle and want to go to town - you have to change lanes......or do you know something I don't - because I can't work out any other way - unless I go along the bybass and cut out town altogether

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nicksey says...
3:07pm Thu 12 Jul 12

It doesn't matter how often or how loud northwich residents complain about this they will never admit that they were wrong and revert it to the previous system that there was no reason to change in the first place.

They won't go back to the old system because if they did that they would be admitting that they were wrong and Clr Riley would never do that. She would rather stick her fingers in her ears and pretend that she can't hear all the complaints.

She doesn't even live in Northwich and probably never comes here either so has no concept of the damage it is doing to our town centre.

She needs to wake up and take notice of the people of Northwich, but she won't because if she did she would have to admit to wasting all this time and money as well as destroying our town centre.

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Daniel18 says...
5:13pm Thu 12 Jul 12

MRSC2412 - Yes I do drive and I wait until I am through the traffic lights until I change lanes - where there is more space to do so - rather than cutting up other cars on the bridge - which is what a lot of drivers are currently doing because they want to cut across to drive to Weaver Way.

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GOFFY says...
5:48pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Well said Daniel, it's the nutballs that stop before going onto the bridge to wait for some one to let them cross to the lane they want.
I am a taxi driver and probably use the new system more than any of those who have already commented and complained.
I really do not have a problem with the new road lay out, there were queues before the changes and there are queues now. So what has changed absolutely nothing we just queue in different places.
Goffy

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100246 says...
7:20pm Thu 12 Jul 12

For the taxi drivers the new system must be good because a taxi with a meter off the rank to Castle/Hartford/Weav
erham/Winnington or Barnton direction the fare will have increased. Nice little bonus

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GOFFY says...
7:36pm Thu 12 Jul 12

No nice little bonuses for me I drive a private hire vehicle which has fixed prices, which ever way I take passengers. As a private hire vehicle owner driver it costs me more money in fuel, so 100246 it pays to get your facts right before making having a moan at those who are only trying to make a living.
Taxi drivers whether they be hackney or private hire are honest working people not the type of person you are trying to make them out to be.
Goffy

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100246 says...
8:10pm Thu 12 Jul 12

Goffy I didn't say anything about private hire . If you read my post carefully I said "a taxi with a meter off the rank" my facts must be right because the greater distance will increase the fare. Is that true?

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fishsta says...
12:46pm Fri 13 Jul 12

100246 vs Goffy... Boom, Headshot, 100246 wins. As for the gyratory system, it doesn't work now, and it's going to be worse with these changes. People won't pay attention to "Keep Clear" on the road already, so why would they now? People coming out of Dane St to turn right with the aim of going all the way up Chester Way will still get in the right hand lane and complain at people in the correct lane turning right also, just as people still continue to be in the wrong lane at the Chesterway roundabout for the third exit, despite all the signs and road markings. As imperfect as it was, the old two-way system worked better, but with the money spent, no, I don't think they will be willing to admit they got it wrong. Shame, really, they might regain a little respect if they held their hands up and admitted the problems.

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davefc says...
5:29pm Fri 13 Jul 12

Its probably been said lots of times but it is NOT working, I suggest a councillor got to lidl car park at 17.00 on a Friday and sees what happens... Nothing. Too much lane swooping and people letting them in, you can tell when someone does not know the area but now lots of motorists are doing it as its the easiest way through town. I am really surprised there has not been a serious accident, this has been avoided because the traffic is so slow. Maybe thats the reasons behind it all.

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GOFFY says...
6:31pm Fri 13 Jul 12

Well 100246 you nearly had me beaten there but not quite because, which ever way you go to Weaverham, Hartford, Castle, and the majority of Winnington whether it be the old way down Watling Street or through new gyratory system the distance would be the same, but as you say the Barnton would be the only one that would be a little further and who wants to argue over a couple of hundred yards.
As for fishsta, who knows what he/she is rambling on about. There was no competition between 100246 and myself just an exchange of differing views, as for the comments regarding the Chesterway roundabout I fail to see what that has to do with a new road layout that is three hundreds down the road. Well I have said my last on this issue because it does get tedious reading the same old thing over and over again just written by different people.
Goffy

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GTI says...
11:12pm Fri 13 Jul 12

i think the system works, i was thinking what could be done to improve it and low and behold the new proposals are what i was thinking. if it wasnt working there would be gridlock and there isnt, there is still a backlog all the way up chesterway at rush hour but there was before, maybe changing to 2 lanes going passed the co op towards hayhurst bridge will sort that out a bit

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AntiNimby says...
11:42am Mon 16 Jul 12

" if it wasnt working there would be gridlock and there isnt" - Are you having a laugh?

There is Gridlock many times. For example on numerous Saturdays, the last occurance being 2 days ago on 14th July. Want proof?

We have phots..

https://www.facebook
.com/#!/groups/20067
6833364432/

"I was unfortunate enough to have had to go through town several times yesterday at various times due to work, and it was pretty much like this all day from what I could see regardless of which way you were trying to come in or go out"

No tell me again that it's working and there is no Gridlock!

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Daniel18 says...
5:53pm Mon 16 Jul 12

I agree with GTI - the new system is working well - there are queues at peak times which is why the council are making the adjustments.

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onered says...
5:38pm Tue 17 Jul 12

The traffic going in to Northwich was stuck half way up Castle Hill at 10.55 this morning, problem, all Red Sequence on the Bull Ring Traffic Lights? Not what you would say "Peak Time". Don't make any amendments, revert back to the original workings before any more Businesses go to the wall.

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Daniel18 says...
6:01pm Tue 17 Jul 12

I hardly think the old system would have made any difference! the lights would have still been on red if it was two way!

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100246 says...
7:38pm Tue 17 Jul 12

The old system would have made a LOT of difference because there would have been an alternative 2 way system over the other bridge.
The new system hasn't yet been tested if there is a major incident where one of the routes over a bridge has to be suddenly closed

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lavenderblue says...
11:07am Wed 18 Jul 12

Although CWAC welcome our comments it appears they are ignoring the fact that it is not working and will never work. Put it back how it was instead of wasting our money. Northwich will deter visitors coming into the town to shop as they will be so confused as to which lane they should be driving in and frightened of causing an accident.Has anyone started a list of signatures of objection to present to CWAC.?

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onered says...
6:19pm Wed 18 Jul 12

1000246 correct, we would have had the option to use Hayhurst Bridge. At first we thought the Town Bridge was off. Another problem with this system is the removal of two Bus Stops, Chester Way opposite Navigation Road and one
one outside the Regal used by travellers from the Weaverham & Hartford Areas. One has to get off the Bus on Castle, opposite Park Street for the bottom end of Navigation Road, Businesses on Castle Street, Verdin Park and the Hospital or you have to walk back out of Town from the Terminus.

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tuggy16 says...
9:04pm Wed 18 Jul 12

So the highways dept.say they listen to the public!!!!!!!
If that is the case,the system should revert back to what it was.
As there is not a lot of support for any of the changes.One should not hold their breath,THEY DO NOT LISTEN.

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DM1877 says...
2:29pm Wed 25 Jul 12

A couple of weeks ago, it took me 15 minutes to get from Castle to London Road in Leftwich, a journey that would usually have taken a couple of minutes using the old system. I feel sorry for the private hire taxi drivers, who are using more fuel navigating the one way system, but can't charge their customers any more. We're always being lectured on being green and saving the environment by using our cars less and recycling. Do the council not care/understand that by sending cars further than is necessary, it isn't 'green' in any way, shape or form and now there going to make it even worse by blocking more roads off! Put it back to how it was!

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tuggy16 says...
1:23pm Fri 27 Jul 12

WELL it looks like the council have made their minds up.

If they are taking the opinion of the public (LIKE THEY SAY THEY ARE) all being well we should have it back as it was in no time.

NEVER mind tweaking it in different parts.

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