Warrington Borough Council is seeking people’s views on plans to upgrade the junction at Bewsey Road and Lovely Lane, making it more user-friendly for all, including those who walk and cycle.

The council has been successful in securing government funding to improve this junction, which is in need of active travel improvements. The surface of the road is in poor condition, with cycling through the junction difficult and at times dangerous.

The upgrade plans include the full resurfacing of the junction, repositioning of islands and street lighting columns and the upgrade of the traffic signals.

A key part of the project is the introduction of a ‘Cycle Optimised Protected Signals junction.’ Commonly known as ‘CYCLOPS’, this type of junction separates people walking, cycling and wheeling from vehicles, reducing the risk of collisions or conflict between users.

CYCLOPS junctions have a number of benefits over other junction layouts, including:

• Crossing times for people walking are shorter and closer to the preferred route
• Cyclists are separated from motor vehicles and from pedestrians
• The signal phase for people walking and cycling can run at the same time
• The overall junction performance for all modes of travel is optimised

First developed by Transport for Greater Manchester, and now common across the UK, this CYCLOPS junction will be the first of its kind in Warrington.

Warrington Borough Council’s cabinet member for highways, transportation and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “The junction at Bewsey Road and Lovely Lane has been in need of an upgrade for some time. The existing road surface is in poor condition and there is a need to replace the traffic signals. At the same time there is a clear need for us to make active travel improvements at this location.

“We can achieve all of these much-needed improvements through these proposals, providing a high quality, user-friendly junction for everyone. By installing Warrington’s first CYCLOPS scheme, we can make it easier and safer for people to walk and cycle.

“These proposals support our ongoing work, through our Local Transport Plan, to improve safety on our highway network and encourage people to travel in more sustainable ways. We are keen to hear people’s views on our plans for the upgraded junction. Please get involved in our consultation and have your say.”

The Lovely Lane/Bewsey Road junction is an existing traffic signalled controlled junction which lies at the intersection of two key routes providing access to jobs, schools and leisure facilities. The corridors surrounding the junction are key links on the council’s cycling and walking strategic neighbourhood route network as defined in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan.