Council bosses carry out Bridge Foot 'review'

1:00pm Wednesday 26th September 2012 in News

The changed lanes at Bridge Foot The changed lanes at Bridge Foot

HIGHWAYS chiefs say they will ‘review’ the controversial changes to Bridge Foot roundabout which has caused misery to motorists.

As reported in last week’s Warrington Guardian, drivers have been left stuck in queues of more than half an hour while they wait to travel to the south of the town.

Changes in lane priorities for motorists heading to Latchford, Grappenhall, Stockton Heath and Walton mean one lane has been allocated for four exits and two for one exit to Mersey Street.

Complaints have flooded the Warrington Guardian.

Almost 1,000 people have voted in our online poll to say the changes are wrong while dozens of others have written, called or e-mailed to complain.

Last week Lib Dem leader Ian Marks called for the marking to be changed to back calling the alterations “lacking in common sense”.

Adam Chilton, from Callands, is typical of the correspondants.

He said: “The council blamed some of its previous traffic planning mistakes on outdated surveys, however I would suggest that no survey was carried out prior to this latest blunder because the problem is so obvious,”

A council spokesman said: ““We took the decision to change the lane markings at Bridge Foot roundabout to assist better traffic flow at peak times.

“Due to feedback received from motorists in recent days the situation is now being carefully monitored and is currently under review.

“In the meantime we advise motorists to please be aware of the new layout when approaching the area.”

Highways chiefs were unable to tell the Warrington Guardian how much the work has cost as it is part of a ‘larger programme’ of repainting.

They were also unable to say how long any review would take.

It is the latest embarrassment for the council’s highways team.

The most high profile was changing the junction outside Asda Westbrook to traffic lights from a roundabout caused huge tailbacks and cost a six figure sum.

Comments(21)

grey_man says...
1:57pm Wed 26 Sep 12

To be fair to the highways team, how could anybody have predicted that reducing the capacity of already severely gridlocked lanes while increasing the capacity of a free flowing lane would be a bad idea.

*rolls eyes*

Lucky for them they can't work out how much it cost either. Otherwise we'd know how much money the council wastes on stuff like this.

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Wires2012 says...
2:02pm Wed 26 Sep 12

If the council think it is such a great idea, why aren't they enforcing the lane changes?? everyday i use bridgefoot and have always been cut up but the lane changes just encourage people to use the 2 inner lanes to queue jump and cause more congestion -

WILL SOME ONE SORT THIS MESS OUT????

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Karlar says...
2:11pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Please stop using titles like Highway Chiefs or Planning Chiefs they are meaningless unless we can put a name to them or their jobs. More to the point they provide anonimity for people who are very well for the jobs they hold down and so should be made to face upto their responsibilities when things go well or not so well.

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grey_man says...
2:15pm Wed 26 Sep 12

It's what Stanley Baldwin would have called 'power without responsibility — the prerogative of the harlot through the ages.'

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CH1984 says...
2:20pm Wed 26 Sep 12

I have already logged a complaint with the council and received a very lengthly response.....they basically decided to make changed to Bridgefoot in order to alleviate traffic at peak times coming from Knutsford Road. This seems like a pointless exercise when it is the traffic on Wilson Patten St that is the most congested. Having one lane for four exits does not make sense!!

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ww1984 says...
2:24pm Wed 26 Sep 12

The traffic on Bridgefoot has always been a joke but since the lanes have been changed its got even worse. I only live in Westbrook and its taking up to an hour to get to work on Centre park. I used to be able to travel to Manchester in less time!
The lane changes are causing more people to cut in and creating far more traffic

It might help if staff working on centre park were able to gain access via Slutchers Lane. This would help ease congestion on Bridgefoot for other motorists.

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Daz@SankeyviaOrford says...
2:32pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Ww1984 using slutchers lane is to much like common sense ! WBC tend to lack that .. I have said it before and shall say it again traffic planners in this town are a bunch of boneheads.. The cost of implementing and then reversing this mistake should be deducted from there annual wages .. WBC preach about Eco issues then increase the density of exhaust fumes and cost to the public ! Idiots

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grey_man says...
2:34pm Wed 26 Sep 12

ww1984

What? You mean open up the existing roads rather than make people drive all the way around? That's just crazy talk :)

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madenuftowrite says...
2:42pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Well done to everyone who took the time to write, blog or call - people power is alive and well..!!!

Now, what about that foliage problem on Birchwood Way????

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Dustin says...
2:53pm Wed 26 Sep 12

grey_man wrote:
It's what Stanley Baldwin would have called 'power without responsibility — the prerogative of the harlot through the ages.'
He also referred to engines of propaganda, constantly changing policies (or should that be lanes?), direct falsehoods, misrepresentation, and half-truths, to name but a few familiar things.

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Bluejean says...
3:00pm Wed 26 Sep 12

I wish the Highways chiefs would review the junction of Hawleys Lane & Winwick Road. I'm sick of sitting in traffic queues every time I visit Alban Retail Park. Whenever I've been there the majority of traffic (including me) is queueing in the one lane to either go straight across on to Long Lane or turn right onto Winwick Road towards town centre, whereas the 2 lanes feeding left onto Winwick Road are empty; but to be honest any traffic wishing to go left is probably stuck behind all the other cars waiting to go forward or right! On a few occassions we've been sat in a queue unable to get off the retail park. Very frustrating.

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BigBrian2 says...
3:26pm Wed 26 Sep 12

To call the Road Planners muppets does a great disservice to ....muppets.
Anybody that uses Bridgefoot at peak times from Wilson Patten St would know that the majority of traffic going into Mersey St actually comes across Bridgefoot from Knutsford Rd, Wilderspool Causeway and Chester Rd not from Wilson Patten St.

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old-codger says...
6:56pm Wed 26 Sep 12

At times like these I am reminded what numbskulls we have working for us at the council,

Yes I said working for us, Council tax payers, Road tax payers,

Why cant these people do things right the first time round instead of all this phaffing about trying this, That and the other. If they had asked for motorists views in the first place none of this would have happened...

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newcombe says...
7:47pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Following my 1 hour 45 minute journey this morning for a journey that normally takes 25 minutes (Stockton heath – Chapleford Village)
Or the 40 minutes it took my wife to get to Aldi at Crosfield Island. Or why my Grandson who normally arrives home at 5.30pm arrived tonight at 6.45 having tried to negotiate the traffic in the town centre
Will you please explain why 2 labour councillors that I spoke to today claimed to have no prior knowledge of the brief to repaint the Lanes at Bridgefoot.
Why, when I spoke to Steve Hunter he explained that the decision was taken without consultation outside the Highways Committee.
Why was the obvious problems not foreseen and at what point will the’ light go on’ that the plan was a total shambles and should have been rejected immediately.
There is an old, but very pertinent quote and it very much applies in this case “Not on my watch”, well clearly Councillor O’Neil, this took place on your watch.
As a Warringtonian, I suggest three remedies that would address this astonishing misjudgement, as follows:


1) You resign (If you did not see the problems that this would cause then your judgement in impaired and you are not fit to hold public office, you and you Labour Party certainly do not represent my views any more).
2) The whole of the Highways committee should resign or be sacked and a committee formed that understands traffic management (as the present committee do not).
3) The road markings should be restored to its prior lane layout (not perfect but much better than the current).



In conclusion, you and your representatives have managed to screw –up what appears was an already a shocking traffic situation, Oh and by the way. Please advise Mr Hunter that at no time has the Bridgefoot Island been flooded or underwater, so his suggestion of a dual problem only lends itself to reinforcing the fact that he, and his department are not fit for purpose.

oh and by the way Steve Hunter is the head of Highways ext 2684, give him a call, Im sure he will be pleased to hear your views, after all he and his band of highwaymen caused your stress.

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Dustin says...
9:01pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Newcombe - like all previous bloggers you very right to complain but your wrath is wrongly directed. Labour may have an overwhelming majority but it does not have the power. Here in Warrington that lies in the hands of officers who appear in the press before us, when things go wrong, as they all too often do, in various guises such as Highway Chiefs, Planning Chiefs or Legal Chiefs etc. Elected members are never described as Chiefs, Shields yes, but never Chiefs. It's almost a surefire bet the Highways Committee were told what decision they should take for Bridgefoot. So keep plugging away at Steve Hunter because he is more likely to get something done than any elected member of the current administration.

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newcombe says...
10:02pm Wed 26 Sep 12

Thanks for that Dustin
Is it not the case that the Labour Council have allowed the quango which is the Civil Servants to overstep thier powers?. That is why I blame the councilors, as for Mr Hunter , he and his highways committee should be disbanded and sacked for gross stupidity.

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notatcreamfields says...
9:04am Thu 27 Sep 12

At time's of huge cut backs for every public sector dept's maybe the powers that be should've looked at this for a while before making a decision to change priorities in the early hours of a weekend without prior notice to road users. If they do change it back to how it was it's gonna cost more than a few £1000 over all. When errors or bad decisions are made the person that has signed off the work should be personally held responsible and have to pay every single penny back into the public purse. While there's no comebacks for groups and individuals wasting the already over stretched Council budgets there's no real reason for work to be properly looked at in the future expensive errors like this will continue to happen, a prime example was the total waste of public money to put traffic lights on Cockhedge roundabout. The only time you know when they're on is when there's huge tailbacks on Brick Lane extending further back down the A49 to half way down Mersey Street. There's been to much of passing the blame with no real punishment of the offenders the banks being a prime example like RBS who's majority owned by the tax payer not doing anything what the Government tell them too do including ridiculously inflated wages at the top with thousands at the bottom who've lost their jobs to pay for the farce.

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grey_man says...
10:04am Thu 27 Sep 12

newcombe wrote:
Thanks for that Dustin
Is it not the case that the Labour Council have allowed the quango which is the Civil Servants to overstep thier powers?. That is why I blame the councilors, as for Mr Hunter , he and his highways committee should be disbanded and sacked for gross stupidity.
I don't know if that's going too far but certainly it's way past time for councillors to hold the council's employees to account for their mainfest greed, arrogance, incompetence and corruption. In the past 12 months alone we've seen the chief executive and the like of Andy Farrall refuse to defer a 9 per cent pay rise, the halfhearted inquiry into the destruction of the planing records, John Earle (the man supposedly responsible) publicly sticking two fingers up to the investigation and hence the people of Warrington, John Groves of the planning department escaping disciplinary action even though he was found to have spent four years lying to councillors to cover up, and now this obviously incompetent decision from Steve Hunter and his team which has caused traffic chaos and wasted a large sum of money. I don't believe for one minute they don't know the cost of this project. They're arrogantly refusing to admit to it.

And what do our councillors do about all of this? Nothing. Unless the people of Warrington take action, councillors don't want to know.

What is evident is that the council is run by its staff and so our votes count for nothing. Until councillors start taking on the town's employees directly, demanding answers, insisting on disciplinary action and - in the case of John Earle and others - asking the police to investigate nothing will change.

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ghostwriter says...
2:40pm Thu 27 Sep 12

so they change it without consulting the actual road users, but when they complain after its changed they consider the issues raised?

1. consult the residents of this town on their opinion
2. seriously look into ALL alternatives
3. sack the incompatent people responsible.
4. claw back the money this mess has/will cost by waqe cuts from the management of the people in point 3.

simple answer to a simple issue.

its hardly a complex issue.

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Karlar says...
3:58pm Thu 27 Sep 12

Why the Police were never brought in when ex-Councillor Kevin Reynolds called for just that is as much a mystery as why councillors who, given mandate after mandate to act for and on behalf of the community, consistently fail to do face up to their responsibilities as borough councillors. One of which self evidently is to put right the obvious wrongs within WBC, not continue with the concealment processes whilst waving aside genuine elector protest with the mantra of “lessons will be learned”.

If members can’t stand the less than moderate heat of the WBC’s political kitchen, they should make way for those who know their own minds and are willing to ask for and question all the, advice they are given, not be moulded into puppets that move to strings jerked by officers. We want free thinking firebrands not compliant fire-dampers. This borough has a dire need for members who will use their mandated power for the betterment of the community and the borough, not use it as a piece of celebrity bling.

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newcombe says...
4:40pm Thu 27 Sep 12

This message is for the Warrington Guardian.
I would propose that you publish a canvas type poll in both your paper and online. I think that ALL Council officials and quangos (spokesperson this and that executives) proporting to represent the Warrington community would be amazed at the anger and contempt that the population has for them, because like all local issues the logic or sense seems to pass them by.
Never before have I had communications with people who 'dont get it' because the highways certaily dont. ie:. we are having a review said Mr Steve Hunter, let me save the taxpayes that cost Steve, you and your flawed commitee get yourselves down to B&Q, get yourselves 4" brushes and tins of black paint, and paint the lines black, that would be an improvement.

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