Radcliffe Road traffic calming measures cause for concern

New chicane traffic calming measures - in which drivers on one side are given priority - have recently been installed on Radcliffe Road on a blind bend near The Volunteer Pub after a number of accidents had taken place.

The traffic scheme is designed to slow people down on the sharp bend - but residents and driving instructors have aired their frustrations about the measures.

They say the new measures on the blind bend, where motorists have to give up priority, makes it impossible to see whether cars are coming the other way.

Tony Pearson, a Grade A driving instructor in Bolton, said himself and other instructors are now avoiding the area and that Radcliffe Road will no longer be on test routes.

He said: “When you go down Radcliffe Road in Darcy Lever and you go past The Volunteer pub, it's on the bend where the council has decided to put traffic calming measures in.

“And what they have done is they have put the traffic calming on the actual sharp bend itself.

New chicane traffic calming measures on Radcliffe Road (Image: NQ)

“They have put one give way where you have got to give up priority before the bend and all the way round the bend, where you can’t see, they have put the other chicane giving them the priority to come through.

“So, as you are approaching from one side, all you can see is the bend, now you know you have to give way to oncoming traffic, but the problem is you cannot see it because it is that far round the bend.

“So, you will see that nothing is coming, and you will start to go through but because they have put an island in the middle of the road you have to go on the opposite side of the road to go round it.

“By the time you have done that and you’re on the opposite side of the road and you see an oncoming vehicle they are actually coming at you head on.

“It’s because they can’t see you and you can’t see them.

• Also read: Bolton: Travellers seen enjoying barbecue after being told to leave

“So essentially what it is doing is putting you on the wrong side of the road and effectively putting you head on to an oncoming vehicle that has got priority and then you are going to have to swerve out of the road.

“I have been onto the council about it, and they said its legal under the Road Engineering Statistics, as long as it is 43 metres apart it is legal.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t see each other or not, which is absolutely ludicrous.

“It’s only been there a few days and I’ve already had a situation with a learner driver which was really quite scary, where we have had to swerve to get out of the way and I have seen a wagon having to swerve out of the way as well.

“It is not safe at all.

“Now I have spoken to the test centre manager, and he went down and had a look at it, and he has actually taken it off test routes because he said it is not safe.

New chicane traffic calming measures on Radcliffe Road (Image: NQ)

“So that is how much of a concern it is causing, I’ve not seen anything like this in all the years I have been driving.”

A resident who was driving in the local area and wants to remain anonymous, said she was concerned when approaching the chicanes.

She said: "I was driving towards the give way area of the chicane and I couldn't see if anyone was approaching me.

"I was so scared and when I went to go because it looked clear a car was actually approaching fast around the corner.

"It's an accident waiting to happen."

A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “We were requested by local ward councillors to provide traffic calming measures to slow the vehicles down on the bend due to the number of accidents that had occurred, causing damage to property in this location.

“The only way to do this was by installing a chicane prior to the bend travelling southbound. The chicane arrangement has been designed to the appropriate national design standards with the necessary forward visibility and signage.

“These measures require vehicles to slow down and take extra care travelling through them, which is the aim of the scheme. There are similar arrangements elsewhere in the borough which have been in place for many years.

• Also read: Bolton Magistrates Court: Bury fraudster caught out

“The measures have only just been installed so it will take time for regular users of the route to get used to the changes to the road layout.

“As with all traffic calming measures, they will be monitored closely over the next few weeks, and we will make any necessary alterations as required.

“We are intending to alter the road markings to alleviate the issues some drivers seem to be encountering negotiating the scheme.”

If you have a story or something you would like to highlight in the community, please email me at chloe.wilson@newsquest.co.uk or DM me on Twitter @chloewjourno