Concerns have been raised about the impact of a major junction.
Worsley Brow in Worsley, Salford, near junction 13 of the M60 (Image Google Maps)
Major traffic problems at a M60 junction in Worsley have become ‘beyond a joke’, a councillor has claimed, saying people are leaving Salford because they can’t get to work. Bob Clarke, leader of Salford Conservatives, said issues at junction 13 are causing major delays for residents and families in the area.
He raised the matter at a council meeting on November 19 at Salford Civic Centre. “I got off the motorway this morning at 5.45am and the whole of Worsley Brow was at a standstill,” Coun Clarke told the meeting.
“I don’t know how many times we’ve brought it up at community committee and with various people within this council, but it’s high time it was sorted out with National Highways, I know it’s not our problem but some of it is our problem.
“We’re losing residents now, two doctors who are consultants at Manchester Royal Infirmary have moved out of my street in the past two weeks, I asked them why – they can’t get to work. Parents can’t get their kids to school on time because of the hassle on Leigh Road, Worsley Brow, and Walkden Road.
“It needs to be highlighted at the highest level that junction 13 and the M60 needs sorting, it’s draining the economic growth out of the area, we’re losing good working people into Manchester who pay high council tax because they can’t get to work. It’s beyond a joke now.”
Councillors in Salford met on November 19 (Image: Declan Carey)
Problems with traffic in Worsley around junction 13 and Leigh Road have been repeatedly highlighted by councillors from the area. In response, Labour Councillor Mike McCusker, the council’s lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development, agreed the situation has to change, saying there is a ‘serious problem’ at the junction.
He added: “We’ve been at the hands of National Highways, they took part in this thing called the ‘quadrant study’, which started and disappeared into the ether. It’s a key concern of ours, obviously we’ve set up the mayoral development zone around Port Salford, and [are] working with Trafford council as well, which needs to really address the whole issue of transport in that area.
“That’s getting us closer to the top table in terms of dealing directly with the agency responsible for that section of the motorway. We’ll be meeting with the PPS [parliamentary private secretary] for the Department for Transport on Friday, and that’s going to be top of our shopping list to try and see if we can influence them to come up with something, because you’re right, it is terrible.
“We have done improvements to the motorway in terms of the temporary lighting, that’s distributed access rather than solving the problem in terms of some people approaching that roundabout, but we need to sort that junction out, absolutely.”