Anger at traffic hold-up

Angry motorists were left stranded after a van broke down close to a Marus Bridge supermarket causing huge tailbacks.
Motorists on their way home sparking complaints it was not cleared quickly enough. Picture submitted by readerMotorists on their way home sparking complaints it was not cleared quickly enough. Picture submitted by reader
Motorists on their way home sparking complaints it was not cleared quickly enough. Picture submitted by reader

And many were angered further when they discovered the vehicle had blocked the highway for several hours before it was moved on.

The Wigan Post used our Facebook page to warn commuters travelling home along Warrington Road on Tuesday that the van was blocking traffic.

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But many then responded to say the breakdown should have been cleared away much sooner to allow traffic to get back on the move.

Jess McAdam wrote: “Took me an hour to get from the junction to Sainsburys and there were a minimum of five men stood right next to it who could have moved it.”

Lisa Halton added: “Absolute joke that when we passed earlier the were police there. Why didn’t they push it out the way?”

Andy Pimlott saw the funny side, asking: “Is it bolted to the floor or something. Been there for hours.”

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While Danielle Farrimond agreed that police should have reacted quicker.

“I went past about 5pm and a policeman was just walking over to it,” she posted. “I wondered why the traffic was so bad.”

The Marus Bridge breakdown is the latest in a long line of traffic incidents in the area over recent years.

While the incident on Tuesday was purely mechanic, there have been numerous collisions and near misses following a change to the area’s traffic system.

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The intersection of Poolstock Lane, A49 and Highfield Grange Avenue at Marus Bridge has undergone a £1.4m redevelopment which converted it from a roundabout to a traffic light-controlled crossroads. But many drivers have complained about the new controls which they say have done little to ease queues at the busy junction while some fear this has led to drivers jumping red lights to get through.

Last year, Winstanley resident Paul Shuttleworth said he believed that crashes are being caused because the right turn from Warrington Road onto Highfield Grange Avenue only has a filter on it when the traffic is queued. This means drivers are turning when the lights are green, thinking their way is clear when traffic travelling along the A49 in the opposite direction may also be green.

He said: “I had a near miss myself and can see exactly why people are crashing. There’s a sensor under the road. If there are more than two cars queueing to turn right it has different sequence to the lights.”

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