THE man leading the fight to stop a new industrial estate access road being built at Kearsley is pressing Bolton Council to reopen two disused bridges instead.

Many local people are up in arms over Bolton Council's plans to create an industrial park on the former tip at Singing Clough and build a new access road from Bolton Road to the existing Lyon Industrial Estate.

The new road plan has been welcomed by residents on Pilkington Road and Springfield Road, the two routes which currently bear the brunt of the heavy lorries visiting the Lyon estate.

But others living on Bolton Road, Park View, Stoneclough Road and Jackson Street are unhappy because they say the new road would make an already busy section of Bolton Road even more congested.

The man who has headed the battle to stop the Singing Clough scheme, Bolton Road resident Bill Collison is pressing the council to examine the possibility of reopening two redundant bridges leading over the M61 motorway at the back of the Lyon estate.

The bridges lead to Moss Lane in Walkden then on Hill Top Road before joining up with Worsley Road North.

"The road out would only go through fields and a cycle track and there would be no damage to any properties and half the cost," said Mr Collison.

"So why is it the people concerned refuse to listen to local knowledge and local people's ideas?

"Surely this makes more sense than bringing in extra junctions and more traffic chaos."

But Steve Burns, Bolton Council's head of economic development stressed that the idea has already been investigated and is not feasible.

Bolton Council have already discussed the idea with Salford Council, who say they would oppose the scheme because it would take heavy traffic through a country park and then a primarily residential area.

Mr Burns said the bridges - currently fenced off and open only to pedestrians and cyclists - may not be strong enough to carry lorries.

And he said it would mean traffic using the Lyon industrial estate would have a much longer journey to reach the M61 or A666.

The council has recently lodged an application for outline planning permission to develop an access road and industrial units at Singing Clough and if it is successful a developer will be sought to draw up a more detailed scheme.

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