Motorists' anger at Bridge Foot changes (From Warrington Guardian)

Its the worst idea since some clown decided to put traffic lights on the Cockhedge roundabout

It's too dangerous and amazingly done on the quiet. Granted it needed sorting out on the approach to Riverside Retail Park, but from Wilson Patten St does not need two lanes for the A49 North, one lane is sufficient. Considering the amount of traffic that goes down Wilson Patten heading to the A49 A5061 and Riverside must be immense. For WBC it's one step forward two steps back.

One would hope that this error is sorted out sooner than later because I can assure you an accident will happen not before too long. The stretch of road is notorious as it is for cars cutting lanes, this will make it worse, no ifs or buts.

Its quite simple WBC..

Lane 1 - A49 North
Lane 2 - A49 North, A5061, A49 South
Lane 3 - A49 South, Wilson Patten St

This further example must be from the same Council Officer who also -
1. Changed the lane priorities on King Edward Street as you travel towards Kingsway lights/Manchester Road. Coupled with the traffic light priority changes this causes longer queues than before.
2. Narrowed and removed lanes from the traffic islands at the top of Poplars Avenue and the Mersey St/Church St roundabout mening less cars can pass through than before in a given time.
3. Erected foliage screens on the Birchwood Expressway forcing cars to almost stop at the roundabout whereas before cars could give way if necessary by looking across as they approached the roundabout.

If there are more cuts to come in Council services then please cut this jobsworth so we can all get about town more sensibly and just as safely.

No new road layout will fix the bridge foot congestion at peak times.

Opening a route between St James Church roundabout and Slutchers Lane (with lights by the police station) would help the situation.

I cant believe people are moaning about this change it's absolute sense I travel down mersey street daily. If this stops people cutting across from lane 1 whether its to go to the retail park or Knutsford or Chester Road then thats only a good thing.

Whether they are coming from the lights next to the Guardian offices or coming of the bridge and going round the bend to the retail park people just blindly dive across the lanes due to the lack of a white line.

hopefully now those people that drive this incredibly busy piece of road oblivious to other traffic will now have to switch on and actually think if they are in the right lane.

heres one for the Album.......Well done WBC..........

Complete and utter joke from the council who do not have a clue on the town's roads.

One way of reducing congestion is to re-open up the connection road between slutchers lane and centre park this would cut down on traffic at bridgefoot at peak times. There have been no signs added to state new road layout and last week they only completed half of the work and some of the lanes dissappeared halfway round.

Why didnt the council do a survey with drivers who use bridgefoot everyday and they would have had a true reflection on the congestion issues. Same old council, decission has been made by someone sat in an office with no clue

Sort it out council before a serious accident happens

Chip Hazard wrote:
No new road layout will fix the bridge foot congestion at peak times.

Opening a route between St James Church roundabout and Slutchers Lane (with lights by the police station) would help the situation.

Chip. Unfortunately that will never happen..............
...................I
ts too sensible.

The problem with the lane that have been changed was never the actual markings on the road but the warning that drivers got about which lanes they had to be in. Road signs just after Go Outdoors on WP Street used to advise where the 3 lanes at the lights went BUT never advised which of the two lanes split to make the 3.

Drivers are in the main pretty sensible, they just need information to make informed decisions.

Chip Hazard wrote:
No new road layout will fix the bridge foot congestion at peak times.

Opening a route between St James Church roundabout and Slutchers Lane (with lights by the police station) would help the situation.

@ gerrumonside...

The people in lane one were not cutting across for the retail park as previously the road markings clearly directed traffic in that direction without changing lane.

It was people in lane 2 cutting left that caused the problem you are discussing.

Yet more examples of the council wasting our money, paying outside contractor vast amounts of money to make our roads less safe. Its time to get all this work voted on by us the people of warrington before it gets the go-ahead. God only knows what will happen to the new MULTI MILLION POUND HIGHWAYS CONTRACT, we will be paying contractors millions of pounds in profit.
Instead all of these jobs should being done by warrington people working for a none profit making organisation, GET ALL THIS WORK BACK IN CONTROL OF THE COUNCIL ALONE WHO WILL EMPLOY WARRINGTON PEOPLE.
LET'S SEE THE BILLS FOR THIS WORK, SHOW US THE COST OF EVERY JOB DONE IN WARRINGTON, LETS SEE WHAT BEST VALUE IS, WE PAY THE BILLS AND SEE ONLY WASTE AND BAD DECISIONS.

I won't be breaking for the Next 4X4 that cuts me up here. I have three undented corners left on my car.

madenuftowrite wrote:
This further example must be from the same Council Officer who also -
1. Changed the lane priorities on King Edward Street as you travel towards Kingsway lights/Manchester Road. Coupled with the traffic light priority changes this causes longer queues than before.
2. Narrowed and removed lanes from the traffic islands at the top of Poplars Avenue and the Mersey St/Church St roundabout mening less cars can pass through than before in a given time.
3. Erected foliage screens on the Birchwood Expressway forcing cars to almost stop at the roundabout whereas before cars could give way if necessary by looking across as they approached the roundabout.

If there are more cuts to come in Council services then please cut this jobsworth so we can all get about town more sensibly and just as safely.

Birchwood Expressway foliage screens - your meant to stop at a roundabout, and look that its free to go - so really dont know why ur bothered about that - its the highway code and a copper can do u for not stopping to look!!

Why not just dust off the plans for the bridge between Chester Road (opposite Gainsborough Road) and the West side of Warrington so that the traffic to North & West has an alternate route, lightening Bridge Foot traffic considerably? Tell Gideon it benefits Tatton and you might even be in with a chance of a bit of funding...

Trevbert wrote:

madenuftowrite wrote:
This further example must be from the same Council Officer who also -
1. Changed the lane priorities on King Edward Street as you travel towards Kingsway lights/Manchester Road. Coupled with the traffic light priority changes this causes longer queues than before.
2. Narrowed and removed lanes from the traffic islands at the top of Poplars Avenue and the Mersey St/Church St roundabout mening less cars can pass through than before in a given time.
3. Erected foliage screens on the Birchwood Expressway forcing cars to almost stop at the roundabout whereas before cars could give way if necessary by looking across as they approached the roundabout.

If there are more cuts to come in Council services then please cut this jobsworth so we can all get about town more sensibly and just as safely.

Birchwood Expressway foliage screens - your meant to stop at a roundabout, and look that its free to go - so really dont know why ur bothered about that - its the highway code and a copper can do u for not stopping to look!!

The Highway Code does not demand you stop at an island, only to give way to traffic from the right. The police will not 'do u' unless you cause a problem for anyone already on the island.
Look up the Highway Code in a Google search.
Also any screen, foliage or otherwise, which restricts a drivers view should be removed. Try explaining why you stop to a lorry driver, who will be able to see over most foliage!

madenuftowrite wrote:
This further example must be from the same Council Officer who also - 1. Changed the lane priorities on King Edward Street as you travel towards Kingsway lights/Manchester Road. Coupled with the traffic light priority changes this causes longer queues than before. 2. Narrowed and removed lanes from the traffic islands at the top of Poplars Avenue and the Mersey St/Church St roundabout mening less cars can pass through than before in a given time. 3. Erected foliage screens on the Birchwood Expressway forcing cars to almost stop at the roundabout whereas before cars could give way if necessary by looking across as they approached the roundabout. If there are more cuts to come in Council services then please cut this jobsworth so we can all get about town more sensibly and just as safely.

I have to disagree with number 3 as the traffic heading towards that roundabout never used to slow down until last minute causing accidents, now they have to which drivers are supposed to as they approach roundabouts

yes and by giving way, you should stop to look, its pretty much common sense - its lazy drivers that dont and i'm not innocent either....
the police will do you, i know cos i have 3 points for not stoping at a traffic island, failing to give way.
HGV drivers are a law unto themselves, they shouldnt overtake but they do on m-ways, takes the 3 mile to overtake another HGV, they're restricted to the inside lane(s) but yet go over the thelwall and u'll find them in the middle!!

warringtons roads are a joke, but something needs to be done cos bridgefoot is a nightmare -its brian bevan island which wants nobbing off, its too small to cope with the weight of traffic going over it or thru it.

KEEPINLANE wrote:

Trevbert wrote:

madenuftowrite wrote: This further example must be from the same Council Officer who also - 1. Changed the lane priorities on King Edward Street as you travel towards Kingsway lights/Manchester Road. Coupled with the traffic light priority changes this causes longer queues than before. 2. Narrowed and removed lanes from the traffic islands at the top of Poplars Avenue and the Mersey St/Church St roundabout mening less cars can pass through than before in a given time. 3. Erected foliage screens on the Birchwood Expressway forcing cars to almost stop at the roundabout whereas before cars could give way if necessary by looking across as they approached the roundabout. If there are more cuts to come in Council services then please cut this jobsworth so we can all get about town more sensibly and just as safely.

Birchwood Expressway foliage screens - your meant to stop at a roundabout, and look that its free to go - so really dont know why ur bothered about that - its the highway code and a copper can do u for not stopping to look!!

The Highway Code does not demand you stop at an island, only to give way to traffic from the right. The police will not 'do u' unless you cause a problem for anyone already on the island. Look up the Highway Code in a Google search. Also any screen, foliage or otherwise, which restricts a drivers view should be removed. Try explaining why you stop to a lorry driver, who will be able to see over most foliage!

yeah you do not "need" to stop at an island but you are supposed to slow down and give way to traffic from the right which is what a lot of drivers coming down the expressway were not doing and I think the foliage is a good thing because it means cars do have to slow down. my boyfriend is a cyclist and he uses that route so a car coming from any exit not slowing down would wipe him out

What annoyed me was the fact that there was no warning that the lanes were going to be changed (well not that I noticed anyway), so one day I just drove round there on my way home from work, and it was all changed. Also, the right hand lane (when you are waiting at the lights, next to the WG
offices) had no markings on.

On the way home from work again today, a car which had been in the middle lane at the lights (I was in the right hand lane), cut me up, but got mad at me! It's going to cause a lot of aggression, and as others have said, most definitely cause many accidents.

I think it will take a while for motorists to get used to it, but at the end of the day, whatever the road layout, there will always be people who will get it wrong.

Trevbert wrote:
yes and by giving way, you should stop to look, its pretty much common sense - its lazy drivers that dont and i'm not innocent either....
the police will do you, i know cos i have 3 points for not stoping at a traffic island, failing to give way.
HGV drivers are a law unto themselves, they shouldnt overtake but they do on m-ways, takes the 3 mile to overtake another HGV, they're restricted to the inside lane(s) but yet go over the thelwall and u'll find them in the middle!!

warringtons roads are a joke, but something needs to be done cos bridgefoot is a nightmare -its brian bevan island which wants nobbing off, its too small to cope with the weight of traffic going over it or thru it.

Where on earth do you get these ideas from??

There is no rule that HGVs shouldn't overtake, only that they shouldn't use the outside lane - they can quite legally be in any of the other lanes.

And the road markings at most roundabouts are 'give way' not 'stop' - roundabouts are supposed to help keep the traffic moving, if you stop when there's no need to do so you're restricting the flow of traffic.

Well guys n gals there will be even larger problems each time Runcorn bridge is closed ! WBC don't forget when the extra traffic starts avoiding the forthcoming toll bridges at Runcorn bridge foot will be totally grid locked morning noon and night what a bunch off boneheads we have controlling our towns roads !

WBC have a great record of making a complete mess of warrington's roads, they need to have a look at the clowns in the offices and get some new ideas,they spend hundreds of thousands on roads and change them back a few months later,lets see if we can recall them all, i will start with cromwell avenue near to the LA bowl traffic lights "now no right turn as it caused a disaster,so they spent more to to try to put it right. people who approach the roadabout don't even know the road layout has changed until its too late "unless I missed the sign of course" and you find your in the wrong lane, and the traffic lane A49 is empty when I go through, and people just fly down it and cut in. I thought it was fine you still had the idiot who know what lane they should be in, but decided they would act like arse's, but as said above and I have said for ages "GOD HELP WARRINGTON WHEN THEY TOLL THE RUNCORN BRIDGE" I think it will kill warrington from the point of view of new business, people wont come as our infrastructure around the town center is outdated.

voyager wrote:

Trevbert wrote:
yes and by giving way, you should stop to look, its pretty much common sense - its lazy drivers that dont and i'm not innocent either....
the police will do you, i know cos i have 3 points for not stoping at a traffic island, failing to give way.
HGV drivers are a law unto themselves, they shouldnt overtake but they do on m-ways, takes the 3 mile to overtake another HGV, they're restricted to the inside lane(s) but yet go over the thelwall and u'll find them in the middle!!

warringtons roads are a joke, but something needs to be done cos bridgefoot is a nightmare -its brian bevan island which wants nobbing off, its too small to cope with the weight of traffic going over it or thru it.

Where on earth do you get these ideas from??

There is no rule that HGVs shouldn't overtake, only that they shouldn't use the outside lane - they can quite legally be in any of the other lanes.

And the road markings at most roundabouts are 'give way' not 'stop' - roundabouts are supposed to help keep the traffic moving, if you stop when there's no need to do so you're restricting the flow of traffic.

HGV's should not be in the middle lane of a motorway, they're not banned or anything - but a relatvely slow moving vehicle, they should keep themselves confined to the inside lanes, so faster moving vehicles are not held up, as it creates a gaggle of vehicles doing 50mph on a 70mph freeway.

I perhaps got it slightly wrong by saying you had to stop at a roundabout, but it is common sense to reduce your speed or stop, i for one wouldnt chance that roundabout, or the '8' one at the other end of that section of road. it's not a coincidence that theres at least one accident there every week, a shunt or a smash.
As said previous warringtons roads are pathetic, junctions where there are roundabouts should be traffic lighted, there shouldnt be traffic lights on the cockhedge - thats bonkers and plus they're only ever switched on at stupid times, usually sundays and late evenings when there is no bleeding traffic as such

The biggest problem on the middle lanes isn't lorries. It those people who have decided it is their right to hog it and turn the motorway network into a dual carriageway. These are the people that selfishly clog up the roads.

I have no idea what they are doing at Bridgefoot. It's clearly a ridiculous decision to expect people to do even more lane hopping on what is at the best of times a chaotic and baffling layout, especially for newcomers.

grey_man wrote:
The biggest problem on the middle lanes isn't lorries. It those people who have decided it is their right to hog it and turn the motorway network into a dual carriageway. These are the people that selfishly clog up the roads. I have no idea what they are doing at Bridgefoot. It's clearly a ridiculous decision to expect people to do even more lane hopping on what is at the best of times a chaotic and baffling layout, especially for newcomers.

I agree one of my biggest hates is middle lane hoggers, do they not realise that they can actually move into the inside lane and stop other drivers having to go on the outside lane.

Some people think the inside lane is for lorries, Others think the outside lane is for sightseeing, Bridge foot has always been a nightmare, They will make is as hard as posible for drivers going through the town to (encourage) people to use the toll paying mersey crossing when its finished.

On the way down to Wembley I was shocked at the amount of cars the coach overtook! Mainly pensioners.

The new markings on Wilson Patten Street are incorrect or at least inconsistent. As you approach the telephone exchange from Bank Quay, the left lane (of two) says A5061 and Retail Park, yet as you approach Mr Smiths, suddenly the right lane is A5061 and Retail Park.

One lane for the whole of south Warrington and Riverside Retail Park is just plain bonkers.

I have used this roundabout every day for the last 16 years to get to work and back !! Never have i been "cut-up" so much by people being in the wrong lane !! There were nearly 2 accidents whilst waiting sat waiting for the traffic to move. I think its a bad move, and the fact that there was no notice / signs of the lane changes o.O Those signs should of gone up at the same time as the marking changes ! An accident waiting to happen !

Just noticed today that the green signs telling you which lane to be in at the lights still says:
Left hand lane: Straight on
Middle lane: Right
Right hand lane: Right

So this HASN'T BEEN CHANGED for the new road layout, hence some drivers will still be following that and going in the middle lane to go round to say the retail park! It's ridiculous that that hasn't been changed so the lane markings are saying one thing and the signage is saying another, making it very confusing for drivers!

HGV drivers are a law unto themselves, they shouldnt overtake but they do on m-ways, takes the 3 mile to overtake another HGV, they're restricted to the inside lane(s) but yet go over the thelwall and u'll find them in the middle!!............
.........

Coaches and HGV,s are only prohibited from useing the outside lane, HGV,s are restricted to 60mph Coaches are not.

its about time people realised that the people on this council have no idea how to sort the roads or the congestion out so they just make it worse in the hope that people will suffer it why don't they look at a one way system round the town, the roads are there all they need are new signs, if they can,t see this let them join the circus in town, they'd put the clowns on the dole

old-codger wrote:
HGV drivers are a law unto themselves, they shouldnt overtake but they do on m-ways, takes the 3 mile to overtake another HGV, they're restricted to the inside lane(s) but yet go over the thelwall and u'll find them in the middle!!............

.........

Coaches and HGV,s are only prohibited from useing the outside lane, HGV,s are restricted to 60mph Coaches are not.

Coaches are restricted to 60-70mph dependant on age/type of vehicle.
HGV's are restricted to 56mph if we're gonna start splitting hairs.
A HGV may use the middle lane to overtake, yes i know this - my point was that when they try to overtake another HGV at perhaps 1-2mph more than , they create a backlog of traffic behind them. My point i know was a bit vague, but since old-codger your something of a smart-ar5e i thought i'd reiterate my point for you're benefit.

Chip Hazard wrote:
No new road layout will fix the bridge foot congestion at peak times.

Opening a route between St James Church roundabout and Slutchers Lane (with lights by the police station) would help the situation.

Love that idea. Or even go between Liverpool Old Road and Eastford Road. Avoid the the warrington area completely.

Main issue I have is that the M62 blocks often in the morning. Silver Jubilee Bridge and the "new" bridge (when built) will both be tolled (about £1.50 a day), which means more people will consider using Warrington or the M62. Traffic is going to be a nightmare.

If you come out at Barbauld street you cant get into that 3rd lane.
WBC = "WE BUILD CONGESTION"

mr_dave wrote:

Chip Hazard wrote:
No new road layout will fix the bridge foot congestion at peak times.

Opening a route between St James Church roundabout and Slutchers Lane (with lights by the police station) would help the situation.

Love that idea. Or even go between Liverpool Old Road and Eastford Road. Avoid the the warrington area completely.

Main issue I have is that the M62 blocks often in the morning. Silver Jubilee Bridge and the "new" bridge (when built) will both be tolled (about £1.50 a day), which means more people will consider using Warrington or the M62. Traffic is going to be a nightmare.

If you come out at Barbauld street you cant get into that 3rd lane.
WBC = "WE BUILD CONGESTION"

This is the issue, does anyone think that HGV drivers are going to pay the Widnes tolls?
No, they will all come through Cuerdley, Penketh, Sankey Bridges and into Wilson Patten St to get to Bridge foot.
I should be gobsmacked that no-one on the Council thought of this when the bridge plans were announced.
But this is Warrington, I no longer exopect the Council to think, and as for actually doing anything...

They should at least made that middle lane access to the retail park and Knutsford south. Understand that the first lane is North only now, but they really do not need 2 lanes for that.
Its not like its an overly complex matter, left - 1st exit
middle - 2nd/3rd exit
right - 4th exit
Is this not the basic idea of how a roundabout works? Lets hope we can hear WBCs justification for this layout, if its to stop people wanting to drive through Warrington its certainly tempted me.

It's about time the council sorted that road out.

It always has been really confusing when approaching that roundabout if you wanted Latchford, A49 south or Walton due to the old lane markings.

Now to figure out which lane you need to be in all you need to do is think about the common sense highway code. If you are going past 12 o'clock on the roundabout (which is what Bridge Foot is) you need to be in the RIGHT LANE! and if you look all other exits other than A49N off that roundabout from there are RIGHT!! The old method of having the middle lane for random lanes was too confusing and sometimes when you got a queue on the A49N you'd find traffic in the middle lane needing to swerve around into the 3rd lane to avoid the waiting traffic just in front.

When I first got a car there was a number of times when I'd approach that roundabout thinking I need to get off to Latchford or Stockton Heath and I'd get into the right lane, only to get to the end and realise I'd need to cross back into the middle lane to try and get there, of course I did eventually get used to it, and now with this new setup people will need time to adjust, but it's no more dangerous, it is actually safer and makes far more sense, especially for road users who don't know the town.

How does it make more sense to have the four busiest exits served by one lane and the quietest exit served by two lanes?

Is anyone from the council going to offer a comment on what has clearly got a lot of people riled? Perhaps the Warrington Guardian can go and seek the WBCs explanation directly seeing as this is now the most commented story on the website? From what I can tell there are three key questions - why are the signs as you approach incorrect? why was no consultation done beforehand? why two lanes for one exit and one lane for 3 exits? This can then be stretched to a wider question of how do they expect Bridgefoot tocope once tolling is introduced at Runcorn? I look forward to seeing the WBCs explanation.

As there are 2 lanes for traffic going down Mersey St.towards the Cockhedge roundabout and only 1 for traffic going to the retail park,Knutsford Rd,Wilderspool Causeway and Chester Rd.you have to assume that WBC have counted the number of vehicles using those routes and their results told them that approximately twice the number go down Mersey St.as opposed to the other 4 routes.
That can be the only logical way that they have decided on this change surely?
All they have to do is come on here with their figures/stats/resear
ch and show us that it all makes sense.
Over to you WBC,I look forward to reading those figures.

What's still happening from what I can see is that people are still using the two left hand lanes then swapping lanes. It doesn't seem like anything other than a recipe for chaos and accidents.

I am a motorist. I am very angry about this. Do I win a prize ?

gerrumonside wrote:
I cant believe people are moaning about this change it's absolute sense I travel down mersey street daily. If this stops people cutting across from lane 1 whether its to go to the retail park or Knutsford or Chester Road then thats only a good thing.

Whether they are coming from the lights next to the Guardian offices or coming of the bridge and going round the bend to the retail park people just blindly dive across the lanes due to the lack of a white line.

hopefully now those people that drive this incredibly busy piece of road oblivious to other traffic will now have to switch on and actually think if they are in the right lane.

heres one for the Album.......Well done WBC..........

No wonder your happy! You have 2 lanes all to yourself!! Obviously the idiots at WBC never venture into South Warrington much either, while the rest of us have to enter the battle that is the Bridge Foot Roundabout,
we are in two groups a) the minority - those who are following the new rules joining the even longer queue than usual of standing traffic in the right lane and progressing into one of 4 lanes on the roundabout and b) the majority - those who haven't got a clue what is going on and probably dont even care and who decide to use the middle lane even though they are intending to take the 4th turn off the roundabout towards Chester Road!

Lane 1 - A49 North
Lane 2 - A5061, A49 South
Lane 3 - A49 South, Chester Road, Wilson Patten St