Line Orders, published 8th February 2007 :: Scheme Impacts

Glossop & Longdendale

No relief from Congestion

• When the bypass opens in 2015 Mottram Moor would still carry 36,000 vehicles per day.
• Traffic lights at the Townhead Farm, the Showground and M67 roundabouts would lead to queueing and tailbacks.
• Rat running on local roads in Padfield and Tintwistle would occur.

Doubling of Traffic in the Area

• With double the amount of traffic in the area it will be no easier to get out of Glossopdale - there would be 48,000 vehicles per day on the both bypassed road and the bypass.

Mottram and Hattersley

• The Highways Agency propose that Hyde Road and the section of Mottram Moor by Woods are closed to vehicle traffic. This means that the most direct route to the M67 roundabout for residents of Mottram and Broadbottom will be via Ashworth Lane.
• The bypass prososals do not address traffic increases created by the planned supermarket on Stockport Road (A560T) and access via Ashworth Lane.
• The section of road from the M67 roundabout to the Mottram Showground roundabout will be dual-carriageway and illuminated. This will lead to noise and light pollution that would have a negative affect on properties overlooking the scheme.
  

In the Peak Park

Cut off from your countryside

• The stunning countryside of Longdendale would be transected by a motorway style road that cuts 1.3km into the Peak National Park, destroying open access to the moors and tranquillity.

More Traffic

• The A628 Woodhead is in the top 20 most dangerous roads in Britain and in the top 7 most dangerous roads for motorcyclists. A plethora of road signs and a 40mph and a 50 mph speed limit along the route would be used to prevent accidents yet traffic would increase along the route by 50% and there would still be the same number of lorries.

In South Yorkshire

More Traffic

• Traffic lights at the Flouch, Langsett and at Midhopestones would lead to queuing and tailbacks.
• Traffic through Langsett would increase by 44% in the year of opening 2015.
• Heavy lorries would increase by 200%, from 350 per day to 900 per day, on the A616 north of Flouch.
• Traffic on the A628 to Penistone would increase by 23%.

THE INCREASED TRAFFIC ALONG THE ROUTE OCCURS DESPITE TRAFFIC RESTRAINT MEASURES - NO EVIDENCE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO SHOW THAT THESE MEASURES WOULD WORK - IN WHICH CASE TRAFFIC FLOWS WOULD BE MUCH HIGHER AND WOULD FUEL DEMANDS FOR FURTHER UPGRADES - DUALLING OR EVEN A MOTORWAY BETWEEN THE M67 AND THE M1

CO2 Emissions

• CO2 emissions would increase by over 15,000 tonnes per year (9% increase on the "do-nothing" scenario). This is in contrast with Translink's proposal (and other alternatives) which would reduce CO2 emissions overall.

Alternatives

If the bypass is not built traffic levels would stay as they are now - the route is at capacity. But something must be done to relieve the villages of their traffic problems which are due to through lorries, car commuters and the school run. The Government has failed to look properly at the alternatives.

• Through lorries could be moved using Park-wide weight restrictions onto the motorway network of M1 M62 M60 M6 A50, and in the longer term put on the rail on a re-opened Woodhead rail route. Lorries would still be able to access for deliveries. The recent closure of the A628 due to weather and accidents has shown the benefits of such a ban.
• A package of measures including slower speeds and traffic calming for cars, and investment in bus and rail services, walking and cycling facilities and safe routes to school would help to reduce local traffic.

Tell the Highways Agency that the alternatives, such as rail-freight, a Park-wide weight restriction, and investment in public transport (to provide an alternative to the car for commuter traffic to/from Manchester, Sheffield, Glossop and Longdendale) must be fully and independently investigated before a decision is taken on the bypass.

Summary of the Traffic Figures

Further details will be posted here as soon as they are available.

Route Restraint Measures

Because building the bypass will lead to a massive influx of new traffic (new trips and people diverting from local roads onto the bypass route), the Highways Agency are proposing "route restraint", which basically means they will install traffic lights at various points along the route (M67 roundabout, Mottram Showground Roundabout, Townhead Farm junction at Tintwistle, and on the A616 Flouch Roundabout) in an attempt to create traffic jams and make the route less attractive. These measure are untested so there is no evidence that they will work. If they don't work, the traffic figures will be greater than those forecast, and all related impacts (safety, pollution, etc.) will also increase.

Tell the Highways Agency that the route restraint measures should be uncoupled from the bypass proposals and implemented today.