Work starts on £33.6m A34 corridor
Contractors George Cox & Sons will be on site from today, near Gatley Road and Broadway.
According to the authority, work is to be delivered in phases, with construction set to continue until 2028.
Improving connectivity is the driver for the scheme which was given the go-ahead by the government in the autumn.
Included in the work schedule is the creation of a 5.6km designated pedestrian and cycle route, with improved access to the Cheadle Royal Business Park and the Stanley Green business area.
Other improvements will involve a pedestrian subway being built for pupils and staff at Kingsway School.
The council has joined forces with traffic signal and active travel specialists at TfGM to develop the proposals.
Stockport says it is using in-house management, design and other specialist teams, and the development will be supported by partner consultants, adding that the scheme will be delivered primarily by contractors drawn from its framework.
Cllr Grace Baynham, cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services, said: “The A34 is a vital route in the borough, and this scheme will bring a host of benefits to not only the A34 corridor, but Stockport as a whole.
“It’s great that we can announce that work has started on the first two schemes that make up the wider project.
“Work will be completed in phases, but we would appreciate residents bearing with us while these works take place to create a scheme that 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.”
The council says it will keep the amount of carbon used to a minimum during construction, and new trees will be planted in a bid to improve biodiversity and improve habitats along the route.
The authority says the work is planned and co-ordinated to manage all forms of disruption as much as possible, and further details about this can be found on a dedicated page on the council’s website.
Money has been spent on cycle lanes at wilmslow Rd didsbury, manchester road Cheadle do cyclists use them no they don’t they prefer to travel on the Rd a a complete waste of money it would be better spent on potholes that cause so much damage to cars and cyclists
By Anonymous
Yet another waste bowing to the walking & cycling minority.
By Mr Brown
Let’s hope that Stockport have got a lot better at project management than they were with the utter shambles that is the A555.
By Simon
That’s a laugh sort out the shambles before you start another one
By Billy H
@Mr Brown why don’t you care about the safety of pedestrians and cyclists?
By Levelling Up Manager
Great to see more cycling and walking infrastructure going in much needed
By Mrs Brown
4 years of more misery, how is this scheme going to increase capacity? Queues at Gatley lights are a daily pain, backing up past Cheadle Royal junction. How are cycle lanes going to help?
By Anonymous
No to subways. Yes to overwalks. I am scared of subways, especially after dark, when nobody is about.
By Anonymous
A bit confused with some of the comments, I’m not sure what the problem is with this. They aren’t reducing the carriageway width of the road lanes but using the grass verge to improve connectivity along the A34 for pedestrians and cycles. I used to walk down this road to get to Kingsway from Heald Green so it does get used in my experience.
My only concerns is the abundance of traffic signals on the Cheadle Royal Roundabout which hopefully are only pedestrian controlled rather then phased lights as the latter is likely to cause some traffic issues.
By Aevis
Another complete waste of money which brings no benefit to road users. How much money will we waste sat in queues for 4 years with engines running. Plus the potholes on motorways and normal roads are never dealt with. These need sorting out first and forget putting traffic humps in along the Broadway estate, forget the traffic lights at the end to stop cars using Kingsway and forget cycle tracks. This is a stupid idea and managed by idiots who have no idea what they are doing!
By R White
Great scheme, we need way more cycle and pedestrian paths. Well done Stockport Council.
By Anonymous
Do any of the ‘war on motorists’ commenters actually read the proposals or just jump in with both feet oblivious to the end product?
By Sibt