Single-lane bridge is delayed by a year
CONTROVERSIAL plans to reduce traffic on an historic Ormskirk bridge down to one lane have been postponed as other vital improvements take centre stage in the town.
The Grade II-Listed Derby Street Bridge was set to be reduced down to one lane in January following a computer-modelled pilot scheme which Lancashire County Council used to model the new measures. Safety improvements are considered vital for the Grade II-listed bridge, which dates back to 1848 and has overlooked the railway for over 170 years.
The bridge carries the A570 one way through the town but was not built to carry modern traffic and in its current configuration, does not meet modern standards. Inspections have previously shown the condition of the brick arches has deteriorated, resulting in a reduced capacity to carry heavy traffic, with an 18-tonne limit being imposed on the bridge six years ago, while according to the county council, the existing lanes are too narrow and the footpaths are too narrow to be used safely by pedestrians.
But the bridge plans sparked huge opposition from residents last year, with a petition being mounted and calls for them to be scrapped owing to claims they would cause additional congestion and traffic problems in the town.
Now the council says the changes to the Derby Street Bridge will take place in early 2023 while other improvements take place in the town centre, known as the ‘Ormskirk Eastern Gateway scheme.’
The scheme will see the town’s existing bus station being replaced with a modern facility, including high quality bus shelters, improved street lighting, public toilets, repaved pedestrian areas and improved landscaping as well as a segregated cycle path to create a better connection between the bus and railway stations. Work is due to start in May to demolish the old bus station, with temporary bus stops with shelters being provided on St Helens Road, while the Moor Street pay and display car park will close from 5pm on April 16 to allow the work to take place safely, according to a council spokesperson.
Meanwhile, improvements are also planned to start in Moor Street in July including a new mini roundabout to replace existing traffic signals at the St Helens road junction, new kerbs and paving, resurfacing and tree planting.
A council spokesperson said this would then be followed by further work on St Helens Road in November and December, to include a new toucan crossing close to the junction with Moor Street, new cycle tracks and improvements to the road and pavement.
But the news has been met with scepticism from some residents.
Rachael Carter, mum and business owner from Thompson Avenue, Ormskirk, told the Advertiser: “I’ve resigned myself to the fact that the Derby Street Bridge is going ahead, regardless of what anybody thinks. If they wanted to find another way around it, then there would be other options, but clearly not, as the powers that be have decided, and they’re obviously out of touch.
“So what’s the point in fighting it because they weren’t prepared to listen to what anybody thinks. It’s bureaucracy over democracy and the things they put in place in Ormskirk, you are just left scratching your head, like that bicycle lane to keep cyclists safe and nobody ever uses it. Why don’t they come up with a plan to divert the traffic around Ormskirk, as the town is just one big bottleneck?”
Meanwhile, independent councillors at Our West Lancashire said the council has ignored the views of 1,500 residents who’d signed a petition opposing the change. The party has repeatedly called for a formal trial of the Derby Street Bridge plans before they were implemented permanently.
Cllr Ian Davis whose ward includes the railway bridge said, “Not to carry out a formal trial before making this permanent change is negligent. Many people who know Ormskirk well fear this will lead to gridlock.”
He added: “The county council are relying on computer modelling and not listening to people who drive these roads on a daily basis. They have still not provided any evidence that they have consulted with Northwest Ambulance Service whose ambulances risk significant delays in reaching Ormskirk hospital whilst carrying children with serious health conditions”
Lancashire County Council said: “We had traffic management on the bridge at the end of last year, which reduced it to one lane including during peak times, as part of our preparations for the maintenance scheme.
“While this only offered a snapshot of conditions at any one time, we were pleased to see that traffic flowed freely, supporting the predictions made by our previous traffic modelling.”