M6 - Heysham Link Road

[accykeef]

As the number of cars on Britain's roads increases, the number of bottle necks in towns will also increase. Lancaster is no different from many other towns where there is just too much road traffic for the existing roads to cope with.

Is the Answer to Build More Roads?
The answer to this could be yes or no.
In some circumstances a new road can relieve congestion from a busy town or city. A good example of a successful bypass is the one round Malton in North Yorkshire. All traffic heading to the east coast resorts of Scarborough, Whitby and Filey had to pass through the narrow centre of Malton and the roads were almost grid locked for the entire summer. A bypass was built round the town and a major problem was solved.

The traffic problems in Lancaster, Morecambe and surrounding areas are not as easily solved. Unlike the example of Malton where most of the traffic was just passing through, most of the traffic is local traffic, travelling only a few miles.

There have been many proposals put forward regarding a link between the M6 and Heysham and all suggestions apart from the 'Northern route' have been rejected.

Do We Need a Link Road?
The problem with this question is that both sides of the debate have very strong arguments.

In Favour of A Link Road
Something has to be done to improve the passage of traffic, in both directions, between Lancaster and Morecambe.

Against a Link Road
Wherever a link road is built it will cause problems to local residents. The current proposal will mean an enormous embankment passing through populated areas. One of the major objections has been made by the villagers of Halton, who are concerned that the low level bridge accross the Lune in their village would create a serious flooding risk.

There are many other good arguments both for and against the Northern route but if it was built, would it not just move the congestion to another location?

The question is, how can the traffic problems in the Lancaster and Morecambe areas be solved.

I personally do not think that a single road would achieve anything apart from major disruption whilst it was being built.

We need solutions to the traffic problems not petty personal arguments.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Before I start I'll have to emphasise that I really don't know enough about the subject to have a valid opinion but I do know that it needs something. This summer when we were on holiday in Heysham and one day tried to get to Lancaster to go to the cinema there were roadworks somewhere on the way into Lancaster and we were held up in traffic for ages. It was amazing we actually caught the film.

Coachman travels that way a lot with students and often grumbles about the traffic.

If more roads aren't the answer then the alternative would have to be less traffic but how would that be achieved when people need to get from A to B?

[accykeef]

It is often stated that the Greyhound Bridge is a bottle neck. This is inaccurate because the tailbacks are triggered near the Carlisle rail bridge where two lanes of traffic are forced to merge into one and then encounter a set of traffice lights. Making this road a dual carriageway all the way to Morecambe would do more to ease congestion than the Northern link road.

[WillowTheWhisp]

How about something totally mad like a new bridge across the Lune? Somewhere in the region of the White Lund Industrial estate and leading onto Northgate, then joining Westgate to come up to that roundabout. Or would that simply pass the problems onto the roundabout?

Remember I did tell you I don't know enough about it.

[kidstypike]

Not sure what the anser is , all I know is that it took me 50 minutes from the McDonalds roundabout to the RLI the other morning.

Dave

[accykeef]

I know that a lot of people travel from Heysham to Lancaster every morning and do the reverse journey at rush hour. I have been searching for information on a traffic census but cannot find anything. I am sure they must have done one when the link roads were first being discussed.

It makes more sense to put a bridge off the White Lund rather than direct traffic to the North of the city.

[trevnhil]

Well I am able to get back on line with you all thank goodness.
accykeef and Willow the Whisp both mention / suggest a new bridge across the Lune to the Southwest of the two existing bridges.
This was one of the original suggestions and was designated "the western route". However this was abandoned because the government would not finance that route.

But many people, myself included have always said that it was the route that made most sense.
Again it has been mentioned that there must have been a traffic census. Admittedly most of the private vehicles are going into Lancaster (mornings) and returning to Morecambe (evenings) Plus the school traffic. One count of vehicles that I have never seen is the number of Wagons going to and from Heysham harbour. But having worked around the harbour for a good number of years, I could have a good guess. There are 9 or 10 commercial ferries leaving Heysham each day, carrying a total of ABOUT 500 wagons to Ireland. But....they also bring 500 wagons back from Ireland.
This is UP TO 1,000 wagons a day going through Lancaster. If these are removed from the city center then it must be better for the rest of the traffic.
And unfortunately IMHO It would seem that they will eventually use the Northern M6 link road to the Motorway.

Trev..

[accykeef]

There have been some problems with the server which have now been resolved.

The figures I have seen reported state that only 3% of the traffic is Heysham bound. I find that hard to believe but facts is facts, as they say. I have always thought that making the road available to local traffic was a big mistake. Parents taking the darlings to school will clog that up as well.

There are several problems to solve in the overall scheme of things and 1 road, wherever it is built, is not going to solve all of them. I thought the Western route was the best option but there were major protests about spoiling some fields and disturbing some newts. In my opinion, a motorway standard road starting from the M6 near Galgate with junctions for Lancaster, Morecambe and one at the very end for Heysham would be the best solution.

This, I feel would encourage the expansion of Heysham port and help to regenerate the whole area. The under used rail link could be used more although the western loop in Morecambe would have to be reinstated to save shunting into Morecambe station.

Like many debates of this kind there have been some good arguments put forward but have been somehow lost amongst the battles within local politics. It really is time to do what is best for the area and not be distracted by local politics.

[trevnhil]

I suppose if the powers that be say that Heysham traffic is 3% then it is. However, how many time larger than the average car, is a 40ft articulated trailer behind a cab.

3% by numbers. But much more by volume.

Trev..

[trevnhil]

Do you remember the 1960s when Skerton bridge was two way. and greyhound bridge was a railway bridge from Green Ayre to Morecambe.



Regards. Trev..

[accykeef]

That would have been a nightmare although the traffic was much quieter then. There were thousands of people coming to Morecambe then but most of then arrived by train.
If you go back even further, the bridge over the river was somewhere around where the Millenium Bridge is now.

[WillowTheWhisp]

That's just the thing though when the one bridge was sufficient there was nowhere near as much road traffic as the majority of people didn't have cars and most of the freight travelled by rail. If you go back far enough it travelled by canal too.

I too find it difficult to believe that only 3% of the traffic travels between Heysham and Lancaster. I've been on that road and it certainly doesn't feel like it.

[lilacgirlie]

3%? You are right it certainly does feel like more than that.

Perhaps the census was done at night! LOL

I thought that the Western Route made the most sense too, out of the routes suggested, but I also wonder if one single road would benefit the situation in the end.

Its a tough one, but something has to give. The situation is just getting worse

[accykeef]

I think the the 3% figure refers to traffic going to and from the port, maybe the hundreds of people who live in Heysham and travel to Lancaster daily are not included.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Well that's a bit naive to say the least. They will be looking at it all wrong in that case because they will only see a need for traffic to bypass Lancaster to get to the docks. It isn't that simple. There are plenty of people from Heysham who need to actually get into Lancaster.