Motorists are being told to expected disruption until next spring as work gears up to begin on Manchester’s next CYCLOPS junction from next week.
As part of an ongoing mission to improve walking and cycling across the city-region, work will begin on Monday 22 August to make the busy Brooks Bar junction in south Manchester safer and more accessible for cyclists and pedestrians by installing a CYCLOPS junction.
The new CYCLOPS junction will join several others that have already been successfully installed as part of the Manchester to Chorlton Cycleway.
It is to be installed where Chorlton Road, Moss Lane West, Withington Road, Upper Chorlton Road, and Shrewsbury Street all intersect, and according to Manchester City Council, it will allow pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles to move about all while remaining “entirely segregated”.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) June 8, 2022
“Crossing busy junctions on foot or by bike can be a complicated and scary experience and is often a huge barrier for people travelling by foot or bike, and having to navigate a number of these can make them opt for the car,” Mr Boardman explained.
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“This junction design will make journeys easier and smoother for those doing their bit by cycling or walking, without impacting negatively on any other modes.”
As part of the design of the new CYCLOPS junction, changes are also to be made to road access to make sure that traffic can flow smoothly through the junction and to minimise any future congestion.
This means that Shrewsbury Street at Upper Chorlton Road will be closed, and a ban on turning left will be implemented at Chorlton Road into Moss Lane West, and the Council is advising people to plan their journey ahead of time through the duration of these works.
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CYCLOPS junctions allow pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles to move about, all while remaining “entirely segregated” / Credit: Manchester City Council / Walk Ride GM
With work expected to continue right through until spring 2023, planning journeys ahead of time will make sure motorists don’t encounter delays too significant.
Manchester City Council does however admit that the junction is usually very busy all year round, and now, with the addition of construction work on top of that, it is warning that delays “will be even longer than usual”.
You can find more information on the junction and delays expected here.
Featured Image – Manchester City Council
News
Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
Emily Sergeant -
18th August 2022 
