Approval paves way for £34m A34 corridor improvements
George Cox and Sons can now move on site later this month to kickstart the Stockport scheme, which will ease congestion while also improving walking and cycling routes.
The government has approved Stockport Council’s full business case for the A34 Corridor Improvement Scheme, investing £33.6m in critical improvements to the corridor between Cheadle and Handforth.
Proposals for the £43m project include the creation of a 5.6km segregated pedestrian and cycle route, along with improved access to the Cheadle Royal Business Park and the Stanley Green business area.
There will also be a new pedestrian subway built for pupils and staff at Kingsway School.
Cllr Mark Roberts, deputy leader of Stockport Council, said: “This work aims to encourage and support more sustainable forms of transport and more accessible and safer routes, while also improving junctions and traffic flow on a road area that has been a challenge for many years.
“We believe this new scheme will help to encourage active travel by encouraging and enabling our residents to make healthier choices when they travel around our borough, as well as for those that need to use a car.”
It is estimated that the improvements will generate £76.8m in direct economic benefits while boosting transport links to Manchester Airport.
Cllr Grace Baynham, cabinet member for highways, parks, and leisure services, said: “The A34 is a vital route in the borough, and this investment will bring a host of benefits to not only the A34 corridor, but Stockport as a whole.”
Roads minister Guy Opperman added: “We have invested nearly £34m into improving the A34, easing congestion, and improving safety for local drivers, while helping to improve connections to grow the economy across Stockport, Greater Manchester, and the North West.
Work will be delivered in phases, with the first stages planned to be carried out around Gatley Road, Wilmslow Road, and Broadway.
This sounds like a recipe for years of congestion on what is already one of the most congested roads in GT Manchester. I see that the thing being pushed is improved cycle and pedestrian provision but it is the sheer volume of cars that needs to be addressed.The A34 is in need of attention but however much the work is scheduled 3 years of potentially severe disruption needs very careful management and when cutting the grass at the side of the road causes massive tailbacks I shudder to think what lies ahead.
By Anonymous
I hope that this is not one of those schemes that favour the cyclist at the expense of the road layout , as in neighbouring Manchester where the cycle routes are cutting the lane width of vehicles (creating more congestion and pollution)don’t not make that mistake!,it will be voting time here in Gatley and Cheadle, ultimately if you foul this up then the people who if affects will use the
vote to protest , on the other hand if it’s a success the voting public will be with you , don’t neglect the people who can’t cycle or walk mainly the
elderly who deserve to be able to drive their own car.
By Richard D’Rozario
@Richard the congestion and pollution is caused by drivers choosing to drive. We need to be moving away from car led/dominated infrastructure asap one more lane will not fix it
By induced demand
Richard – and what about those who can’t drive or can’t afford a car? Have you ever considered those people?
By Anonymous
£43 million won’t get you much nowadays, and by the time it’s finished there will be even more cars on the roads.
The problem is its cheaper to buy a car than it is a decent 3 piece suite nowadays, and every drongo and his dog have very important reasons why they have to be out on the road.
By Batman
Puzzled by Richard’s comments about Manchester redistributing road space away from driving, toward cycling. To date, MCC has displayed a remarkable reluctance to do any such thing, most notably at Great Ancoats Street and Hyde Road. They’re a useless, inept council, staffed by hopelessly outdated highways engineers.
By Flixton resident
This is one of the few areas outside of the city centre where a cycle path running along the A34 is a good idea. I went to Kingsway in the early 2000s and a good cycle/pedestrian route back towards Heald Green would have been great and should have been done sooner. There is enough room to accommodate this and not impact the lane widths which looks like what they have proposed.
One aspect I do have concerns about are the additional lights on the roundabout at Cheadle Royal, which are unnecessary considering there are already subways to navigate across. If these are programmed to stop traffic only when pressed then that’s one thing but if they are programmed to phase then I can only imagine the chaos it’ll cause at rush hour.
By Aevis
All for walking/cycling improvements however the article doesn’t really say how the scheme will improve congestion?
By Levelling Up Manager
Yet more congestion seeking cycle lanes. What about elderly or disabled people who have no choice but to use a car to get from A to B. Totally thoughtless scheme, I hope everyone uses their vote in May to show Mr Burnham what we think about his cycling obsession.
By J.J.
There’s no solution here, except for improved public transport or living closer to work. I’m always impressed with people who work in the city, live in the outer outer suburbs and need to commute by car. The gridlock on the A34 and what people put themselves through several times a week is something I’d rather avoid.
By Suburbs
J.J – have you ever been to Greater Manchester? There are plenty of roads for cars already, but not much in the way of cycling or even walking facilities. Motorists need to learn to share the road.
By Anonymous
@Levelling Up Manager
The only way you’ll reduce congestion is by reducing the car numbers.
By Fenton
JJ – The elderly or disabled people who you say have no choice would find it a lot easier to get from A to B if all the other people made use of their other choices.
By now
@Fenton that’s the theory but in practice it won’t happen without a stick approach getting people out of cars. This article basically says it will help congestion without giving any detail on how. You can’t just add cycle infrastructure and say it will…
By Levelling Up Manager
Stockport being short sighted and wasting money again. The amount of works around the A34 Stanley Green roundabout is just showing they wasted money when they extended the A555 and redid this junction! This should have all been included in the A555 works. Also is there anything wrong with getting pedestrians and cyclists to use the old A34 instead of putting them alongside a dual carriageway?! That road is plenty wide enough and wouldn’t need so much vegetation to be removed which I thought was trying to be reduced in this day and age – or is vegetation/green space just a throw away item now which the council don’t care about.
By Anonymous
induced demand, mmmm no pollution from electric cars we will be driving, but lots of pollution from all the “mass type transport” ie can’t see all the busses and trains being all electric.
By Anonymous
@induced demand Richard has hit the nail on the head with his comment regarding lane reduction. We area nation that favours the car as the first mode of transport as many other modes are simply not up to scratch and any viable alternative is non existent or below par. There are many roads around Manchester that have had lanes culled in favour of bus and/or cycle lanes which have ramped up congestion which leads to an increase in pollution.
By Anonymous
@annon 10.39 EVs will not reduce congestion, pretty basic stuff
By Annon
How about a tram cyclist and walkers would be kept safer I would not fancy walking or cycling down the centre of a duel carriage way
By Early mornings
No consultation as usual to this unnecessary proposal which will subject users to years of misery whilst the work is being done The A55& and Poynton Bypass have improved things immensely but this is not necessary
By Richard
@Early mornings why not? I often run and cycle down the dual carriageway, it’s perfectly safe in Manchester.
By Peter
The idea was to relieve congestion, therefore this should have had nothing to do with Stocport Council . They will cause years of congestion without any benefit on congestion at the end.
Anyone using this road is aware there is one major bottleneck at Gatley tradffic lights this does absolutely nothing to improve the situation.
The scheme will actually cause increased congestion, it’s unbelievable the Government have given these funds to a Council that constantly prove there incompetence in undertaking any highways works.
By Pp