Further road closures required at controversial CYCLOPS junction due to quality issues

FURTHER road closures are required for Warrington’s first CYCLOPS junction created to improve highway safety for cyclists at a cost of nearly £930,000, due to quality issues with the resurfacing works.

Up to two weeks of road closures will be required at the junction of Bewsey Road and Lovely Lane from August 12, while the work is redone by contractors, at no additional cost to the council.

While welcomed by members of the cyclying community and highway planners, news of the town’s first CYCLOPS junction, caused uproar on social media, with many decrying it as a “waste of money”.

The work was carried out after highway planners said the existing movement through the junction by cycle was ‘difficult and at times dangerous’, stating that a Cycle Optimised Protected Signals (CYCLOPS) junction had been identified as the ‘most appropriate’ solution.
The cost to complete all of the scheme works was £928,893, made up of £759,500 from the Department for Transports’ Active Travel Fund, and £169,393 from capital borrowing.
The scheme allows cyclists to approach the junction from four ‘arms’, converging onto a cycle track which completely encircles the junction, allowing bikes to make a right turn while being protected from traffic, and to complete the manoeuvre in one movement (dependent on signal timings).

The project was part of the council’s Local Transport Plan (LTP) and aims to make it easier and safer for children and adults to walk and cycle more so that they can use their car less, with the aim to achieve wider health and environmental benefits.
The CYCLOPS layout has a number of benefits over other junction layouts, including:
Crossing times for people walking are shorter and closer to desired lines
Separation of people cycling from motor vehicles and from people walking
The signal phase for people walking and cycling can run at the same time
Optimises the overall junction performance for all modes.

A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that there is a quality issue with the original resurfacing at the CYCLOPS junction. This is currently being rectified entirely at the contractor’s expense, and the work will be completed as quickly as possible.”

Warrington Borough Council has made an Order under Section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
The effect of which is to introduce a prohibition of driving as follows: Lovely Lane from its junction with Bewsey Road/Lodge Lane/Folly Lane, to a point approximately 65 metres in a south westerly direction; Lodge Lane from its junction with Bewsey Road/Folly Lane/Lovely Lane, to a point approximately 75 metres in a north westerly direction; Folly Lane from its junction with Bewsey Road/Lodge Lane/Lovely Lane, to a point approximately 95 metres in a north easterly direction; Bewsey Road from its junction with Lodge Lane/Folly Lane/Lovely Lane, to a point approximately 105 metres in a south easterly direction.
The Order will be effective from 12th August 2024 for 2 weeks, between 7pm and 1am, as and when signed on site, although it is anticipated that the works will require 3 days. Access will be under the control of the relevant Contractor for the duration of the works. The alternative routes are: Lovely Lane via Folly Lane, Kerfoot Street, Winwick Road, Lythgoes Lane, Cockhedge Green, Midland Way, Froghall Lane, Priestley Street, Sankey Green Roundabout, Lovely Lane and vice versa; Lodge Lane via Folly Lane, Longshaw Street, Lilford Avenue, Lodge Lane and vice versa; Folly Lane via Bewsey Road, Tanners Lane, Winwick Street, Pinners Brow, Winwick Road, Kerfoot Street, Folly Lane and vice versa; Bewsey Road via Lovely Lane, Sankey Green Roundabout, Priestley Street, Froghall Lane, Midland Way, Cockhedge Green, Lythgoes Lane, Pinners Brow, Tanners Lane, Bewsey Road and vice versa. The restrictions are required for resurfacing of the junction due to failure of material.

Work completed on controversial CYCLOPS junction which aims to make walking and cycling safer