Sydney Road Bridge works in Crewe due to get under way

Work to replace Sydney Road Bridge in Crewe will get under way on October 29 – and see the closure of both Sydney Road and Lime Tree Avenue.

The existing railway bridge, which is controlled by traffic lights and operates with a single lane, is being replaced with a wider structure to allow two-way traffic.

The scheme will also include a shared cycleway and footpath over the bridge, a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing and improved cycle path provision along Sydney Road.

Sydney Road will remain closed throughout the works, which are scheduled to be completed by the end of May 2019.

Following consultation with residents and local ward members, the council has also taken the decision to close Lime Tree Avenue, to avoid it being used as a cut through.

Councillor Don Stockton, Cheshire East Council cabinet member with responsibility for highways, said: “A decision to close a road is never taken lightly as we understand the difficulties and inconvenience this can create for residents and those that use our road network.

“In this instance, Sydney Road will remain closed during the works to allow Network Rail to safely widen the road in preparation for the new bridge structure.

“The decision to close Lime Tree Avenue at the same time is in response to complaints received about the diverted traffic during the upgrade to Manchester Road Bridge in 2016.

“During those works, Queen Street and Lime Tree Avenue were not part of the official diversion route. However, a considerable number of motorists used the narrow residential roads as a cut through, causing a significant amount of disruption to the residents living there.

“Earlier this year, we held a public engagement event in preparation for the Sydney Road Bridge works, where we put forward our proposal to close Lime Tree Avenue. The local community and ward councillors demonstrated support for this approach.”

Both Sydney Road and Lime Tree Avenue will be access only to residents but closed to through traffic. A temporary bridge will be installed for pedestrians.

There will be opportunity to review the closure of Lime Tree Avenue once there has been time for travel patterns to adapt to the diversion.

The diversion route will be as follows: Sydney Road, Crewe Road, Macon Way, Manchester Bridge, A5019 Vernon Way, Dunwoody Way, West Street, A530 Middlewich Road, B5076 Flowers Lane/Bradfield Road, Remer Street and Sydney Road.

Sydney Road will be closed overnight this Saturday 20 October and Saturday 27 October, to allow sections of a scaffold bridge to be lifted safely into place. The closure will be in place between midnight and 7am.

The full diversion route can be viewed on the council’s website at: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/sydneybridge