The upgrade of a major stretch of road between Castleton and Rochdale town centre will be getting under way in March, after the approval of £13.5 million of external funding for the scheme.
The Bee Network project will see a number of junctions along the busy A58 Manchester Road upgraded with new crossings to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and new, optimised lights which will monitor traffic movements and speed up journey times.
A total of 7 junctions are in line for improvements, including Manchester Road and Bolton Road, Manchester Road and Roch Valley Way and Manchester Road and Drake Street.
The project, which will be delivered by local contractors, George Cox and Sons and J Cooney Limited, will be delivered in stages over an 18 month period to minimise disruption as much as possible.
The work is progressing after £13.5 million was approved by the Bee Network Committee, which is made up of local representatives from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
A new crossing will be created across Manchester Road to enable safe and easy access to Highfield Hospital for the first time, with the existing New Barn Lane subway set to be filled in.
A new cycle lane will be created to extend the existing cycle lane in Castleton from The Royal Toby Hotel into Rochdale town centre. The lane will utilise large stretches of Old Manchester Road, which runs parallel to Manchester Road, and no on street parking bays will be removed.
New greenery and planting will be introduced along Old Manchester Road, alongside road resurfacing, 20mph speed limits and traffic calming measures. There will be an increase in parking, with 30 new spaces being created close to Beech House School, to support people using Mandale Park.
Lights and other traffic management measures will be in place for the duration of the project, but the work will take place in a number of different phases, so roadworks will only be in place on the small section of road which is being treated at any given time.
The project will start on Monday, 10 March 2025 when work on the cycle lane will get under way outside the Royal Toby Hotel. This part of the project, set to last around 6 months, will see the road reduce to one lane between the Royal Toby and Tomlinson Street with temporary traffic lights in place.
Soon after, work will begin in Manchester Road, close to Mandale Park. This will involve the creation of a new 30 space car park close to Beech House School. In addition, a new crossing will be created close to the junction of Tweedale Street and Manchester Road, to ensure that all 3 arms of the junction have a safe crossing point. Bus stops on Manchester Road, close to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and on Tweedale Street, close to the Freehold Estate, will also be upgraded.
Roadworks will be in place on a short stretch of Manchester Road and Tweedale Street to allow this work to take place. It is expected to start on Monday, 17 March 2025 and last around 3 months. Regular updates will be provided to residents and motorists, as the project continues and new phases of work begin.
