Safety boost for pedestrians crossing major town centre road
St Mary’s Gate, a major route in Rochdale town centre, will benefit from the new crossing, alongside other improvements.
The proposed new crossing would connect the businesses close to Howard Place, the entrance point to the Reed Hill car park, and Redcross Street, close to the Lidl store.
The changes will make it easier and safer for pedestrian to cross the busy road and better connect the town centre to its surrounding areas, as well as Rochdale Infirmary.
In addition to the new crossing, the council is looking to improve vehicle access to the Reed Hill car park, by removing the current access from St Mary’s Gate by Howard Place and creating new access from Hunter’s Lane. The car park would also be reorganised and relined, to make it easier for motorists to park. No parking spaces are expected to be lost. Improvements will also be made to the subway which connects Cheetham Street with High Street.
Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways, said:
“This road is a really important route, connecting Rochdale town centre to a number of other parts of the borough and ultimately the motorway network. But pedestrians are also important road users and the current layout of St Mary’s Gate makes it difficult for them to navigate, leaving those living close to Rochdale town centre cut off from it.
“This work will really improve connectivity, making it easier for people to enjoy Rochdale town centre and get to and from Rochdale Infirmary.”
The scheme is being funded by the government’s Towns Fund, which awarded Rochdale £23.6 million for a variety of different projects which support regeneration across the borough, including improvements to St Mary’s Gate.
The council is undertaking a pubic engagement exercise on the proposals, which people can view online. The engagement exercise will continue until Friday, 28 June 2024.
The work, which is expected to take around 4 months to complete, is due to start in late summer. Temporary traffic lights will be in place for the duration of the works, so motorists will be advised to leave extra time for their journeys.
