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Writer's pictureSafer Highways

Traffic-plagued motorway link road could finally be sorted

Just under £1m of funding has been accepted by town hall bosses to improve the A560 road - which connects to the M67. The plan would see the traffic-plagued stretch near the Hattersley roundabout sorted - through widening junctions, road resurfacing and revamping pedestrian and cycleways.


A report put before Tameside council’s cabinet said issues with road safety create barriers to walking and cycling along the A560 corridor. The idea behind the project is to improve walking and cycling provision in the area as well as the road infrastructure.


Although the project funding is expected to cost £9.9m overall, this latest pot of money provided by Transport for Greater Manchester is to engage in public consultation to support the development of a business case. The money would be spent on the sections of the A560 between Hattersley Roundabout and Green Lane.


The plans, which are still subject to change, would see the speed limit reduced from 40mph to 30mph, carriageways resurfaced, footways and cycleways included and junctions revamped. Papers estimate that construction work could start at the end of 2025 if all goes to plan.


The report, approved by the cabinet on July 31, read: “There is a need to improve walking and cycling provision in Hattersley as currently the A560 creates poor connectivity between communities on either side of the road due to a lack of pedestrian provision and crossing points.


“It crosses the Manchester to Glossop railway line and is owned and maintained by Tameside MBC. It is approximately 100 years old, built in 1925, and requires significant investment, with initial inspection work identifying a need to improve the drainage of the structure, replace the deck waterproofing, remove vegetation and undertake masonry repairs.”


The section of road sits in the middle of two huge development sites, with the Mottram Bypass planned on one side and the Godley Green housing allocation on the other. This will act as a key link between the two by widening active travel options and improving crossing points alongside enhancing the Hattersley viaduct section.


Godley Green’s 2,000-home 'garden village' in Tameside was given a final green light back in November 2023. The sections of the site, based in Hyde, would be split by Godley Brook across two east and west villages.


The other link from this scheme would be to the Mottram Bypass, which was given the green light in April 2024. The bypass, which was first mooted in 1965, is designed to tackle congestion between Manchester and Sheffield.


Work on the £228m scheme was due to start in the earlier part of 2023, but the legal challenge from a countryside charity put a halt on proceedings. After that judicial review was rejected by the High Court a few months ago, spades can now go in the ground.

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