WORK will start next week on a £320,000 project for footway and cycleway improvements on the Trans Pennine Trail at Lymm involving road and footpath closures for up to 16 weeks.
Warrington Borough Council has made an Order under Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The effect of which will be as follows: –
Prohibition of Driving: Lymmhay Lane from its junction with Brooklyn Drive for a distance of approximately 60 metres in a northerly direction; Footpath Closure: Trans Pennine Trail from Whitbarrow Road to Reddish Crescent.
The Order will be effective from 21st February 2022 for 16 weeks.
The works will be carried out in phases as follows:
Phase 1: Trans Pennine Trail footpath from Whitbarrow Road to Lymmhay Lane; Phase 2: Trans Pennine Trail footpath from Lymmhay Lane to Reddish Crescent; Phase 3: Lymmhay Lane carriageway.
Works are weather dependent so the restrictions will be in place as and when signed on site.
Access will be under the control of the relevant Contractor for the duration of the works. The alternative routes are: Phase 1 will be via Whitbarrow Road, Dane Bank Road, Lymmhay Lane and vice versa; Phase 2 will be via Lymmhay Lane, Dane Bank Road East, New Road, Rushgreen Road, Reddish Crescent and vice versa; Phase 3 not applicable, access to be maintained where required.
The restrictions are required for footway/cycleway improvement scheme.
The council has been successful in obtaining £320k funding to upgrade part of the Trans Pennine Trail between Whitbarrow Road and Reddish Crescent in Lymm.
The funding is being provided by Sustrans, a walking and cycling charity that obtained the funding from the government. This funding must be spent by March 2022 and a bid for funding for other sections of the TPT is in hand for delivery in later years.
At the time of a public consultation on the project last November Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for transportation, highways and public realm, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “This section of the Trans Pennine Trail has been in need of refurbishment for many years – so it’s great news that we now have the funding in place to carry out these improvements. However, we haven’t forgotten the other parts of the TPT which are also in need of improvement. We will continue to seek external funding to improve all of the TPT in Warrington.
“This investment will give this area a new lease of life, providing a wider, higher quality surface for cyclists and pedestrians and improving accessibility for people with disabilities.”
The aim of the project is to provide a 3.0m wide all weather surface which will allow for all year round use. As well as pedestrians and cyclists, the new path will allow easier access for people in wheelchairs, mobility scooters and families using pushchairs and prams. Better provision for horse riders will be provided.
