A change to the road layout entering Wigan promises better traffic flow and fewer delays.
Council engineers plan to open up Sovereign Road, opposite the Lidl supermarket on Darlington Street. This will allow traffic coming into town from Lower Ince to bypass the busy crossroads at a new priority give-way junction. This then makes the existing crossroads more efficient for all other traffic.
Mark Tilley, head of highways, says: “The existing junction is working well above capacity, as I am sure many drivers will know too well. The council has listened to local concerns here, we have support from local ward members and we want to deliver an effective solution.
“We have the funds and the opportunity now to address this and make a real difference for all road users in the area.”
As part of safety considerations for the scheme, new dropped kerbs and tactile paving for disabled access will be installed at the junction and side roads. New trees will be planted around the junction and the Pepper Mill car park will be upgraded.
Construction is likely to start in March and last for six to eight weeks.
The council continually assesses traffic flow and congestion hotspots and, as funds allow, make revisions to road layouts. Plans are well underway for a major improvement on the other side of the town centre, with a new road out of town to the Saddle Junction under construction this year. A smaller scheme to improve traffic flow around Scot Lane in Wigan was also announced this week.
