A NEW £300,000 set of speed cameras will be installed on one of Bolton’s busiest roads.

Bolton Council has agreed to introduce an average speed camera system for St Peter’s Way, an upgrade from the current cameras which it says have become increasingly difficult to maintain.

It is not yet known when the A666 scheme — which will be paid for entirely through funding secured from Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) — will be installed.

Similar cameras have already been introduced along the A675 Belmont Road between Junction 3 of the M65 and Scout Road, on the outskirts of Bolton.

Cllr Nick Peel, the council’s executive cabinet member for environmental services, approved the scheme for the 50mph St Peter’s Way this week. He said: “We have had speed cameras on St Peter’s Way, but sometimes they have been on and sometimes they have been off depending on the maintenance situation and the ability to close the road to repair them.

“The road used to have quite a bad reputation many years ago for car crashes. But since the speed limit was introduced and the cameras were first installed, accidents have become quite rare.

“This system will reinforce the speed limit, which is there for good reasons.

“I use St Peter’s Way quite a lot and I am aware of motorists breaking the speed limit there in both directions.

“I think some people have got wise to the fact that the current cameras have not always been working, but this new system will put a stop to that.

“It is up to the frequent users of St Peter’s Way to be aware of and respect the speed limit.”

In 2000, five safety cameras were installed on the A666 — since when the council says there has been a sustained reduction in speed-related injuries of approximately 60 per cent.

However, a report sent to Cllr Peel this week says that “it has become increasingly difficult to carry out operate and maintain the cameras” and that the existing set up is “at the end of its life”.

In 2014, one of the cameras was badly damaged after it was struck by a Volkswagen Golf being driven by 24-year-old Westhoughton soldier Tony Emery.

Mr Emery, who was a member of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died in the crash and his girlfriend Paige Palmer was badly injured.

An inquest heard that Mr Emery’s car was travelling “almost bumper to bumper” with a BMW vehicle and that both cars were doing well over the 50mph speed limit imposed.

The new system will consist of a series of cameras at strategic points on the road, which can calculate whether a driver has committed a speeding offence based on the time taken to travel between cameras.

Cllr Peel added: “This is a new system that will mirror what they have on the M60 now, which records average speed.

“Motorists need to be aware that St Peter’s Way is a 50mph zone, be conscious of their speed, and not accelerate between cameras.

“If they try to accelerate between cameras under this new system that will be picked up and if they go over the speed limit they will be liable to receive a ticket.”

The average speed camera system was chosen ahead of two other potential options — upgrading the existing cameras or installing single spot cameras at different locations along the route.

A council spokesman added that motorists will be given notice of the work to install the new cameras before it is carried out.

JENOPTIK Traffic Solutions UK Ltd won the tender to carry out the work with a bid in the region of £245,000, although there will be additional installation costs which the council says will not exceed the £300,000 funding secured from TfGM.

A TfGM spokesman said: “The Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership, working with TfGM and Bolton Council, are facilitating the replacement of the current life expired fixed speed cameras on the A666 in Bolton.

“The road speed will now be managed by installation of a new system of average speed cameras. The Casualty Reduction Partnership aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on Greater Manchester’s roads through a series of interventions that focus on improving driver behaviour and road awareness.

“The partnership includes the 10 Greater Manchester local authorities, NHS, GM Fire and Rescue Services, GM Ambulance Service, TfGM and Greater Manchester Police. ”

A similar system was recently installed in Belmont Road, another accident blackspot, in a bid to cut down on the number of road casualties.