8:30am Wednesday 6th February 2013
By Gina Bebbington
THE fate of Northwich’s controversial one-way system will be decided by the council’s ruling group within the next few weeks.
The experimental gyratory system, which has turned Northwich town centre’s main roads into a giant roundabout, has been in place for 12 months.
Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) launched the 18-month trial at the end of January last year to see if it would work and how it would be received by motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Tweaks were made to improve the system after it had been in place for six months and a further consultation was held in November.
A CWAC spokesman said: “We’ve been collecting data and feedback and highways engineers have completed their report.
“This report contains data from engineers, their view of it and also feedback gathered in November from members of the public “It will be going before the council’s executive group rather soon, within the next few weeks, and it will be for executive members to decide whether or not to make it permanent.”
Residents’ views differ widely on the effectiveness of the system, with Guardian readers emailing and tweeting their comments to us.
Lesley Harvey said: “One year on and it still does not work.
“The town is too small and there is little or no escape from the one way system if it becomes clogged.
“Traffic is regularly backed up on Chesterway coming into the town and coming the opposite way from Castle on to the Town Bridge is still confusing with motorists wanting to change lanes on the bridge.
“CWAC put it back to the way it was, if you’re going to spend money messing about with our road system fill in the potholes.”
Nathan McGahern tweeted: “An absolute nightmare; queues, traffic fumes, leaving for work 20 mins earlier than I used to, poor signage, scruffy town.”
But others think the gyratory works.
Dean Warbz tweeted: “I dont mind it. Flows better than the old system if people use it correctly.”
Andy Priestly tweeted: “Generally much better especially since the tweaks made last autumn.”
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