Town chiefs have moved to reassure residents after concerns were raised about traffic and pollution problems on a road in Blackrod.

Residents on Station Road have shared their concerns with The Bolton News regarding traffic and pollution problems which have been causing them issues for some time.

Their concerns have heightened after an access link road set to be built with access at the South Western end onto Crown Lane which joins onto Station Road in Blackrod.

The link road will connect Horwich Town centre and Chorley New Road to Middlebrook retail park, Horwich railway station, and the M61 via the new Rivington Chase development.

Eileen Jackson, a resident on Station Road, said: “This is a single lane narrow ‘B’ road but due to planning permissions granted over the years for industrial premises, the road is totally overloaded.

“With lorries, trailers, tankers and skips and it is also a bus and ambulance route for emergencies in Horwich.

“To add to this, planning have now issued permission for an access road from Horwich Loco estate coming out onto Station Road.

“This new estate has 1,800 houses and could create 3,000 cars, Station Road needs traffic reducing not increasing and this is a disaster waiting to happen."

The Bolton News: Station RoadStation Road (Image: NQ)

 

Responding to the traffic concerns, a spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “All planning applications include a review of the potential impact the development could have on the highways network.

“Traffic modelling for the Rivington Chase link road was independently verified by Transport for Greater Manchester.

“It projects that the vast majority of traffic from the new development will use the route via Middlebrook and Burnden Way, rather than using the Crown Lane access point.

“Officers are also working with local councillors to consider options to improve the junction of Station Road and the Blackrod Bypass.”

A spokesperson for Bolton Council has also responded to the pollution concerns stating the levels do not pose a risk to health.

They said: “We installed a pollution monitor on Station Road after local residents contacted the council with concerns about air quality levels.

“The results showed that pollution levels do not pose a risk to health and were significantly lower than a comparator monitor near the town centre. 

“We fully understand the residents’ concerns regarding HGV traffic and continue to explore options to mitigate its impact.”

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.