Drivers have complained they’re queuing up to an hour at the bottleneck
Dozens of buses were pictured stuck in traffic during Thursday night’s rush-hour(Image: Josh Hunter)
This staggering picture showing 40 BUSES stuck in roadworks at a key city centre junction.
It comes after complaints drivers are queuing up to an hour at the bottleneck. Salford council say the roadworks, which motorists say have brought the area around Chapel Street, Blackfriars Road and Trinity Way in Salford to a near standstill, are set to last for almost a year.
New bike lanes, pedestrian areas and spaces for buses on Chapel Street are being built in what the council calls a ‘complete streets approach to rebalance the space in favour of pedestrians and cyclists’. But the gridlock is compounded by a stretch of Deansgate now being closed to traffic, meaning drivers are using the Trinity Way approach to the roadworks.
One motorist described the situation as ‘chaos’. They added: “Local residents are not able to get out. The emergency services have nowhere to go.”
Another said: “If the roads are so bad in May, I cannot even begin to think what they will be like during the build up to Christmas. I am not sure who ultimately decides on the cycle lanes, roads being only one way, but it’s clearly not working.
Large queues in Salford after roadworks start on Chapel Street
“The city will come to a complete gridlock. Something need to be done before this happens. I do believe this will stop people coming into the city and will affect businesses and trade.”
Josh Hunter, who took the photo from the balcony of his flat around 6pm on Thursday, said: “I’ve never seen it like this before. It’s gridlocked.
“It can get busy before the Christmas markets, but not like this. You can’t imagine the delays for the people stuck on the buses at the back.”
In response to the complaints, a Salford council spokesperson said: “Salford City Council recognise that any scheme of this scale is going to be disruptive, especially in the early stages while all road users get used to the new arrangements. We are working closely with Transport for Greater Manchester and constantly monitoring traffic flows in the area.
“Adjustments have been made to signals’ operation at key junctions at Chapel Street/Blackfriars Road, Trinity Way/Blackfriars Road, and Trinity Way/Chapel Street to ease the congestion issues. While we recognise there have been delays during peak times, we would like to reassure residents and all road users that the one-way closure on Chapel Street represents the best solution currently available to deliver the works safely and efficiently.
“The set up balances the needs of local residents and businesses whilst maintaining the operation of public transport and general traffic flow with a provision for pedestrians and cyclists, whilst providing an adequate space for the works in a built up and very constricted city centre environment.
“We are working with the works’ contractor to ensure the project is constructed in the shortest possible timeframe to minimise disruption. The works are part of a long-term plan to enhance the area and build high quality, safer pedestrian and cycling provision across the city centre.
“Public realm improvements will see the installation of rain gardens, planting beds and new trees introduced. There will also be upgraded surfaces and new street furniture to create a more inviting and dynamic space for all to enjoy.”
A Transport for Greater Manchester spokesperson said: “We’re aware of the disruption to people’s journeys in and around Chapel Street yesterday evening, which also impacted bus services in that area.
“A combination of factors including roadworks, temporary diversions for the football fan walk and high volumes of people travelling into the city centre for events, resulted in long delays on the road network.
“We met with Salford Council and other key partners earlier today to investigate the causes of the disruption in more detail and are explore options to ease the build-up of traffic along Chapel Street going forward, including potential changes to traffic light sequencing at the junction of Blackfriars Street.”