Major roadworks get underway next week on M53




Work is set to begin on a major highway safety scheme at junction 3 of the M53 at Woodchurch this Monday, June 21.

Wirral Council says the work, which is expected to last until the end of September, aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured at the junction, and reduce traffic congestion and delay on the roundabout at the interchange.

It is hoped new traffic signals, extensive resurfacing, improvements to street lighting, new cycle route, improved traffic signs and environmental and noise reduction measures will help improve the safety of motorists and pedestrians.

Asda is also funding the construction of a right turn facility from its superstore on Woodchurch Road with new traffic signals at the junction of the westbound exit slip road from the M53 interchange and Woodchurch Road.

Cllr Lesley Rennie, cabinet member for Streetscene, said: "This major investment will not only benefit commuters by reducing congestion and delays, but more importantly will create a safer road network and hopefully, reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

"While this work is underway, we are appealing to motorists to take extra care and allow themselves extra journey time."

When the work is underway, lane closures will be required, with additional road closures likely to take place when roads are being resurfaced.


THE GLOBE

Haven't they done enough damage, Clatterbridge roundabout and the one down by B&Q with the way they realigned the lanes from being easily followed to I hope you read which lane you have just taken and hopefully don't get cutup by somebody who didn't read the lane signs,
Plus the slowing down of all traffic from Arrowe Park Road with those stupid sets of lights it's gone from heavy traffic at peak to heavy traffic all day,
Yes the junctions needs sorting out but not at the expense of permanent traffic jams,but no doubt they will use the ritual word road safety as a getout clause,me want to know what happened to driving correctly or like everything else has that gone the drain.

that round about does need lights though, ive crashed twice on it because of idiots infront slammin on for no reason.

You shouldn't be so close to the car in front then Andy

Can't remember anyone dying there? It's quite a safe road. It's just extremely busy that's all!

I can remember the reason they put those traffic lights in was for the golf tournament in Hoylake.

I go past now and get off at J2 - I got fed up of taking nearly half an hour to get from J3 to Fender WAy.

I know I know

Arrowe Park think that the two worst places on the Wirral for crashes are J3 and the Lever Causeway. I'd like to hope they use timed traffic lights as the junction is really quiet later on in the evening.

I was recently looking at houses on the Durley and the early morning traffic queues put me off.

I think the Ministry of transport did a good job on the junction when it was first built; it's hard to imagine what else could have been achieved with the available space: Woodchurch Road, The Fender, The Railway and housing estates all had to be considered at the time.

It would also help if drivers coming off the M53 & heading towards Arrowe Park knew which lane they were supposed to be in!

Unfortunately, the majority of drivers in this day and age, either don't have a clue, or don't give a damn, what lane they are supposed to be in.

source???

My own experience lol

J3 was heavily over engineered, and didnt / doesnt need to be as big as it is....

The size of the roundabout means car can get more speed up, making it harder to join at busy periods.

...it really only needed something the same size as J4

Im sure lights will help, but I hope they are only in operation at peak times - J4 is very stop / start when there is no traffic at nights due to the way all the lights are sync'd

The reason the Prenton Bridge roundabout is elongated is because Woodchurch Rd coming from Prenton and Woodchurch Rd coming from Woodchurch were considerably offset. If you come off the motorway in either direction, the next junction on the left of the roundabout is quite close.

I agree there isn't much more that could have been reasonably done with the juntion. If you look on the 1970's aerial photos you will see that it's still under construction.

You can also see that Landican lane is in the process of being re-routed.

Now J2 on the other matter, that is the pinacle of over-engineering, no doubt part of plans at the time that never saw the light of day. Some speculate that it was to carry traffic across the Dee from West Kirby, but I think the cost/benefit of this would make it highly unlikely!

It is probably the minimum they could do for J2, a motoway T-junction is bound to end up with an over and under road, which means one slipway has to gain height and hence length.

The alternative would have been another split level roundabout which is probably dearer.

I was under the impression that J2 was re-hashed at sometime, but the maps show otherwise.

I guess the slip road of J2 didn't need to be such a huge interchange to funnel motorway traffic right up to Moreton Road. It's clearly designed to handle more traffic than it does.

J2 did end at Moreton Road up until around 1989 when the bypass was built that carried on underneath the bridge towards Saughall Massie.

Some of the houses on the horses hill (little lane at the side of the motorway opposite Upton Manor) suffered with subsidence due to earth excavations in the 70's.

Does anyone remember the swimming pool next door? Is this it on Upton's website? http://www.upton.cx/newwebsite/upt67.php. The boiler house existed at the back of the scout hut into the mid 90's.