Improvements to the A34 and the Stanley Green and A555 roundabouts continue to progress as part of the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road (A6MARR) project.
Last week, a key milestone was reached on the A34 with traffic being transferred onto the first new sections of carriageway. This is an important step forward for the A34 works as it creates working room to allow works to progress on the central reservation and the roundabouts with Stanley Green and the A555. The works has been phased in this way so that the existing capacity with two lanes of traffic in each direction can be maintained on the A34 during the peak hours, with lane closures only in place during the off peak hours of 0900-1530 for periods of time during the works.
Other important milestones that have been reached in recent weeks include:
- All planned utility diversions to enable the road widening works are now complete;
- Drainage connections to the central reservation are now complete (disruptive works elements carried out overnight in recent weeks);
- Surfacing has been completed up to binder course (the penultimate layer of surfacing) in four out of the six areas into which the A34 works are divided.
We will continue carry out works overnight and during the off peak hours and work to remove traffic management as soon as it is safe to do so as the A34 improvements progress.
Please note that the B5094 Stanley Road/ Grove Lane westbound approach to the Stanley Green roundabout is currently reduced to two lanes as works to complete the section of new carriageway on the A34 southbound between the Stanley Green and A555 roundabouts continues. Once this new section of carriageway is complete, we will then commence works to extend and add traffic signal infrastructure to the island on the approach to the roundabout.
To create the safe working room required around the island, the B5094 Stanley Road/ Grove Lane westbound approach to the roundabout will continue to be reduced to two lanes for much of the remainder of the A34 works (programmed to be completed in late summer 2018).
When complete, the works will see the following upgrades made to the A34 and its junctions with the A555 and Stanley Road:
A34/ B5094 Stanley Road Roundabout:
- Additional traffic lanes will be provided on approaches to the junction;
- Traffic lights will be introduced on each arm of the junction to better manage the flow of traffic and provide controlled crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists;
- Controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing points will be provided on the A34 north and south arms of the junctions.
A34/ A555 Junction:
- Additional traffic lanes will be provided on approaches to the junction;
- Traffic lights will be introduced on each arm of the junction to better manage the flow of traffic and provide controlled crossing points for pedestrians and cyclists;
- Controlled pedestrian and cycle crossing points will be provided that will allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross the junction from north to south and west to east, and join the new shared footway/ cycleway that is being added along the full length of the existing A555.
The A34 is also being widened between the two junctions to provide an additional lane for traffic in the north and southbound directions.
For weekly updates on the traffic management during the construction works, please visit www.semmms.info/traffic . This information is updated each Friday afternoon, detailing the traffic management that will be in place the following week.