Major new junction upgrade scheme moves closer

Proposals for the £9m upgrade of a major stretch of road between Castleton and Rochdale town centre are set to move forward with a report on the scheme due to be considered by the council’s cabinet on Tuesday 28 May.

The scheme would see a number of junctions along the busy A58 Manchester road upgraded with new crossings to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and new, optimised lights which will monitor traffic movements and speed up journey times. A total of seven junctions are in line for improvements, including Manchester Road and Bolton Road, Manchester Road and Roch Valley Way and Manchester Road and Drake Street.

A new crossing will be created across Manchester Road to enable safe and easy access to Highfield Hospital, with the existing subway set to be filled in.

A filter arrow will also be added to the right turn from Manchester Road to New Barn Lane to improve safety.

A new cycle lane will be created to extend the existing cycle lane in Castleton from The Royal Toby Hotel into Rochdale town centre. To ensure that no parking bays or road space are lost, the lane will utilise large stretches of Old Manchester Road, which runs parallel to Manchester Road. To complement this part of the project, new greenery and benches will be introduced along Old Manchester Road, along 20mph speed limits and road humps.

The project has attracted £9.1m from the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Challenge Fund and the council’s cabinet will be asked to approve the investment before it goes to Transport for Greater Manchester for final sign off. If it goes through, work on the scheme is expected to begin later this year, with the entire project due for completion in 2026.

If the scheme is approved, detailed traffic management plans will be drawn up to ensure that disruption, while inevitable, will be kept to an absolute minimum.

Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “This huge package of investment will transform this well used stretch of road, which connects Rochdale town centre to its surrounding areas and ultimately the North West motorway network.

“These proposals will bring a huge number of improvements which will benefit every type of road user. The junction upgrades will improve safety for both cyclists and pedestrians, while the intelligent signals will help to improve journey times for motorists. In addition, the new cycle lane will support people who are keen to try sustainable travel options, while not compromising any existing parking or road space.”