WIGAN Council is driving forward plans to transform road transport into the centre of our borough with plans to create an ambitious new gateway.
Known as the Wigan South Central Gateway the multi-million pound project is the council’s vision of how to tackle traffic congestion at one of the borough’s busiest road networks – Saddle Junction.
Anyone who drives in and out of Wigan town centre on a regular basis will know that the Saddle Junction is the number one traffic hotspot in our borough. It’s certainly the busiest and at peak times, the number of cars and other vehicles passing through the Saddle can create a frustrating bottle-neck.
The seemingly constant congestion the Saddle throws up could also be acting as a barrier towards bringing new money and jobs into the borough. Wigan South Central covers several crucial regeneration sites including the Pier Quarter, Robin Park, Westwood Park and the town centre.
The council is now working up the detailed design and assembling the funding package for the scheme.
Planning permission was recently granted for the multi-million pound plans, which include a new link that will run from Pottery Road, along the side of the River Douglas, under Adam Viaduct and into the Saddle Junction. The Wallgate route into Wigan, under the existing bridge, will be altered and improved to give two traffic lanes towards the town centre.
To cope with extra traffic that could be generated by new developments in the area, there will be highway improvements running from Victoria Street in Newtown right through to Library Street in the town centre. A new riverside path will be created for pedestrians and cyclists.
Wigan Council’s cabinet champion for regeneration Cllr David Molyneux says: “The Wigan Gateway project is made up of two previous major road projects – Saddle Junction and the Wigan Inner Relief Route. It’s ambitious but we believe to improve the road network right into Wigan town centre is crucial for the borough’s continued economic success.
“With planning approval now obtained, detailed design work is well underway. We’ve been in discussions with the local community for some time and will continue to liaise closely with them. With their continued support work can begin before Christmas.”
Last year the team behind the project presented the plans to some key members of the borough’s business community.
Miranda Allan who is president of the borough’s chamber of commerce, says: “Wigan’s attraction to those from outside the borough is growing. But if a visitor’s experience, be they from inside Wigan or further afield, is damaged by persistent frustration with time wasted in traffic jams, we lose their belief in us as a destination.
“The Saddle Junction area has long being a physical barrier towards the easy passage of traffic in and out of Wigan. Both the businesses in the immediate Robin Park area, and those in the town centre itself will see immense and lasting value in the planned improvements.”
For regular updates on the progress of the scheme and a map of the plans, please visit our Saddle Junction Scheme pages
