Festive relief for motorists as Ordsall Lane junction set to re-open
Motorists in Manchester will receive some festive relief with news that an infamous pinch-point caused by work on Regent Road is to be temporarily re-opened.
The partial closure of the junction of Regent Road and Ordsall Lane is set to be lifted, as engineers prepare to start work on the next stage of the Manchester-Salford Inner Relief Route improvement scheme (MSIRR).
Ordsall Lane will re-open southbound from its junction with Regent Road on the evening of Friday, December 21, ahead of the MSIRR scheme progressing to the Oldfield Road junction in January.
Work will continue at Ordsall Lane into the new year, but can be carried out without road closures until the road is resurfaced at the final stage.
From the evening of Friday, December 21, due to the construction industry’s standard practice of closing down over the festive period, work on the MSIRR scheme will be paused for two weeks.
With key suppliers closed for business, the materials and heavy machinery which would be required to allow work to continue over Christmas and the New Year will not be available to the team.
During this period, lane closures will be lifted on the inbound and outbound sides of Regent Road and outbound on the Mancunian Way, with the remaining traffic management measures maintained for safety reasons and inspected daily ahead of work resuming on Monday, January 7.
The lane closures which will be temporarily lifted during the festive period are: Mancunian Way outbound (to just east of Water Street); Regent Road outbound (west of Water St to Oldfield Road); Regent Road inbound (Oldfield Road to Water St).
Cllr Roger Jones, executive support member for transport at Salford City Council, welcomed the reopening of the Ordsall Lane junction and thanked motorists for their patience to date.
He said: “This is a welcome move and shows the work on this essential scheme to improve Regent Road for motorists is progressing well.”
The £15m scheme, which began in August 2018, is set for completion in Summer 2019 and will see six major junctions along Regent Road significantly enhanced – increasing their capacity by up to 20%, reducing congestion and boosting local air quality, while also ensuring a better route for pedestrians and cyclists.
Following the introduction of Saturday working in November, contractors are now on site for six days a week, a pattern which will continue until the project is completed.
As previously announced in October, works are set to finish at least one month ahead of the original 12-month timescale, with the project team collaborating with contractors Dawnus to re-phase elements of the scheme where possible.
More than 20,000 hours of work have been put into the scheme to date and engineers will continue to review all elements, to ensure the work is completed as quickly as possible, while also ensuring public safety.
During the works, a free recovery service is in place, to reduce delays by allowing any broken-down cars to be promptly assisted.
Signs are provided on-site, giving essential information for any motorists in need. So far 11 vehicles have been rescued for free.
