The A530 Middlewich Road is set to re-open next week, Cheshire East Council has confirmed.
The key road has been closed since May last year between Pyms Lane and Leighton Hospital as part of the North West Crewe Package (NWCP) scheme.
These aerial images by Jonathan White show the construction of a new road and several new roundabouts.
It’s hoped the scheme will improve access to the hospital and ease congestion points along Minshull New Road and where it meets Smithy Lane and Flowers Lane.
It’s reported the road should be back open week beginning February 20.
A Cheshire East spokesperson said: “It is on schedule to re-open in February. We do not have an exact date as of yet but it is imminent.”
But the length of time for the closure has been heavily criticised by many.
Diversion routes meant a journey of 45-50 minutes to the hospital around the east of Crewe, or drivers attempting to shortcut via Minshull New Road.
Traffic from Nantwich has also been diverting down the narrow B5074 road through Worleston and Church Minshull to get to Middlewich and the hospital.
The A530 had originally been due to re-open in October 2022, but was initially delayed by extra works required by utility companies underground.
A second re-opening date in November/December was also delayed, which Cheshire East blamed on heavy rain and freezing conditions.
The North West Crewe Package is a large huge infrastructure scheme aimed at improving traffic flow in the area around Leighton Hospital, while opening up land for future housing developments.
Further partial closures on other roads may be needed during the rest of the works which are scheduled to be completed in spring 2024.
For more information and updates on NWCP, visit Cheshire East page here.
(Images taken this month, by Jonathan White)
When the two roundabouts in the middle of Stoke were converted to underpasses, the contractors managed to keep the traffic flowing with a series of ad-hoc lanes that seemed to snake around the works.
Why does it seem to be beyond the wit and wisdom of CEC to keep the old road open while they create the new and then switch traffic to the new once it’s finished.
Considering this is right on top of the hospital which might be I guess important to access quickly, why have the planners not considered the needs of the road users, patients and emergency ambulances first rather than the contractors.
Typical lack of cognitive thought from CEC.
Get a grip, why do you need the exact date in February?? Is it because you have the champagne on ice ready to celebrate, just be thankful the end is near, such small miracles do happen in CE Blame the massive increase in population, it will only be one area of inconvenience along the way, much more to come get over it
What a joke, months of invenience for residents and hospital users.
This work should never have required this level of road closure, it made the job easier and cheaper for the contractors at the expense of the public and they still seemed to have an open ended schedule.
Appalling management by everyone involved. As usual.
Pure incompetent …if this was China it would be done yesterday, absolutely ridiculous
This is crazy, why is there still no definitive date. Who is responsible? They need to be acceptable. We were told “mid February” now it’s February!!
A Cheshire East spokesperson said: “It is on schedule to re-open in February. We do not have an exact date as of yet but it is imminent.”