Wall to wall chaos

Residents braced for disruption

FURTHER efforts to replace retaining walls in Saddleworth will see 10 months of disruption when work starts on Chapel Road from Monday.

Oldham Council is preparing to begin work, due to last 40 weeks, on the road that links Uppermill and Greenfield.

The improvements are part of the £22 million scheme which has already seen immaculate dry-stone walling replace crumbling stonework across the borough. Construction along the A6051 will be carried out in two phases. The first stage, expected to be completed in August, will see a one-way traffic system put in place to ensure safety.

However, the second will see the road closed for up to eight weeks due to the complex nature of the engineering.

Councillor John McCann, Cabinet member for regeneration and environment, said: “I apologise to residents for the disruption but this is a major project and it is necessary to put these measures in place to enable it to be carried out effectively and safely.

“The contractors involved will have a significant amount of plant and machinery on site so to ensure safe conditions for workers and residents Chapel Road will be controlled by temporary traffic lights for the duration of the works.

“It is absolutely vital that this work takes place now to ensure the long-term stability of Chapel Road.”

The closure could cause havoc in Greenfield as the road is often the spot where a raft of commuters choose to park their cars as they take the train to work.

The council is keen to stress that there will still be parking available at the home of Saddleworth Rangers Rugby League Club, on Shaw Hall Bank Road. The car park can take up to almost 100 vehicles.

A diversion route via Chew Valley Road, Shaw Hall Bank Road and Oldham Road will be clearly signposted during the closure.