Mere residents urge support for A556 bypass

Surely the bypass will become as crowded as the present road. Probably be better to leave the current road as it is so as to spread the traffic load. Very expensive too, I dont think it is a very good idea.

This may be an over-simplification but I suspect most of the traffic using the A556 is either going from the M56 to the M6 or vica-versa. Wouldn't it be cheaper, easier and less disruptive to the environment and surroundings to simply make traffic either continue along the M56 to the M6 or access the M56 FROM the M6?

I would like to put forward my comments on the A556 bypass.

The current A556 is a complete nightmare and anyone who actually supports keeping the current road are acting selfishly because we’re trying to remove a trunk road that was never designed to take the current volume of traffic.

There is no central reservation, making it extremely dangerous - especially with large wagons overtaking and the road has unfortunately seen a large number of tragic deaths, the last sadly only several months back.

On the Mere crossroads, drivers travelling north bound towards Manchester cant turn right, since there is no right turn and this is the same for the drivers travelling from Manchester towards the M6, they are unable to turn right across the carriageway. This means vehicles are u-turning dangerously on both sides of the busy A50, to cross back over the A556. Hundreds of cars, vans and HGV’s are u-turning every day and at times you can witness several vehicles trying to turn into fast moving traffic, causing dangerous congestion, these actions have caused many serious accidents.

The A556 has two main junctions, “Mere Crossroads” and “The Swan Lights” which causes massive tailbacks on the A556. The highways have tried to ease congestion at these areas by installing expensive intelligent lights, to keep the traffic flowing. These intelligent lights are to the determent of the A50 and Mereside Road, as traffic queues for longer to cross the A556 and then stops traffic on the A556 for longer, thus causing greater tail backs.

The Mere has just opened a large hotel which will mean more cars turning right into The Mere to use the hotel facilities. I sometimes watch vehicles turning right into The Mere, northbound, blocking the fast outside lane, meaning vehicles are suddenly trying to manoeuvre around the vehicles, causing chaos to the inside lane and traffic suddenly stopping. Once again, this is not confined to busy periods, it’s all day every day and the increase of traffic turning in to the new hotel will increase the amount of accidents and unfortunately fatalities.

The extremely heavy traffic is not in safe fitting with such things as the refuge wagon emptying the bins of the houses, which holds up the inside lane, the daily post van driving in and out of houses and blocking the inside lane. There is a farmer who walks his cows across the four lanes, residents slowing to turn into their drives off the main carriageway and residents collecting debris dropped out of car windows - nappies, bottles, and cans. This is a trunk road linking Manchester and “The North” with “The South” that was not supposed to be - how crazy.

Older residents must yearn for the days when Mere was a haven of peace and tranquillity and everyone lived a normal countryside life. Please ask the question – why should we have ever had this curse of heavy traffic imposed on us? Why would we even consider putting up with this nightmare for any longer? How many parents are forced to drive short distances by car because their children are in danger if they walk?

I would like to enjoy Mere - peacefully walk over to the cricket club and join parishioners, watching a relaxing game of local cricket, Mere golf club acting as the hub with gym, tennis, spa, children’s club and various restaurants/bars, bowling club with bar facilities, children’s nursery, local pub, barbecue evenings and social events and finally the potential of lovely local walks and being able to walk all to these facilities and events, not imprisoned by the road.

Removing the trunk road would allow the community to walk their roads in complete safety. Residents would not be breathing in harmful pollution and the memorial will not have thousands of cars travelling past it daily. You could actually sit at the memorial and start to appreciate it. Presently nobody would relax here - no bench to sit on and appreciate the work that Jean Duncalf does with flowers etc. Many residents have said they will contribute towards the upkeep of the memorial if the road was moved.

This is real opportunity to have Mere back to a country village, with so much to offer. I have a passion for Mere to return to its former glory and I love living in Mere. I know that Mere can offer so much more without the heavy motorway traffic along its road. People living in Mere want the community back and they know that this road is the divide.

Let’s not be selfish, watching our own doorsteps, looking at the smaller picture, when the bigger picture is far more attractive. When the plans for the junction at the “The Kilton” were announced, I applauded this, knowing it would increase traffic past my door, why? because I want the trunk road closed and to be part of a community.

All we need is for the bypass to be implemented quickly and then Mere can become a meaningful close knit community once again.