The countdown is underway to the grand opening of the £52m Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley bypass, almost a century after the first plans were initially drawn up!
The three-mile route, one of the biggest current highway schemes in the North West, will be officially opened by the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, our local MP for Tatton, on Friday, November 19th.
Two hundred invited guests who have been involved in the project will attend the ceremony and I am honoured to have received an invitation so I will be reporting back soon after.
Taking centre stage will be 15 distinctive cars, a collection of modern and vintage models, which will represent the decades since the initial set of plans were drafted in the 1920s. The ceremony will be followed by a tour of the bypass and a celebratory lunch at the Festival Hall.
The event marks the culmination of a 22-month construction project which has been completed within budget and well ahead of schedule. The bypass runs to the west of Alderley Edge, starting at Harden Park roundabout and rejoining the existing A34 to the south of Nether Alderley. It will remove an estimated 26,000 vehicles a day from the village, hopefully bringing improvements in road safety, traffic delays and pollution.
Councillor Jamie Macrae, Cabinet member with responsibility for prosperity, said: "The opening of the bypass is a momentous occasion for the people of Alderley Edge and Nether Alderley. Given that the project was first mooted in the 1920s, local residents have been waiting for an extremely long time and I am delighted to see their patience finally being rewarded.
"When the Council came into being we identified the bypass as a priority as part of our commitment to grow and develop a sustainable Cheshire East, building upon the excellent preparation carried out by our predecessor authority, Cheshire County Council.
"The bypass will restore tranquillity to these historic villages and provide a convenient route for the thousands of commuters who pass this way every day. This is an outstanding achievement for all concerned. I would like to thank Birse Civils for their consistently high standard of working which has resulted in the project being completed well ahead of its original summer 2011 schedule.
"I must pay tribute to their excellent and consistent engagement with the local community, which ensured residents were kept fully informed at every stage. I would also like to thank local residents, motorists and the Parish Councils for their co-operation and patience during the construction process."
Councillor Carolyn Andrew, who represents Alderley ward, said: "I know I speak for all residents of Alderley Edge, Nether Alderley and the surrounding areas when I say how thrilling it is to see the bypass finally become a reality.
"By diverting the bulk of traffic, it will have an enormous impact on the quality of life for local people who have had to contend with thousands of vehicles rat-running through their villages daily. My congratulations go to all involved in what has been an incredibly complex and demanding engineering project. It represents an excellent example of partnership working."
A major aspect of the engineering project was the construction of a railway bridge to carry the West Coast Main Line over the bypass. The scheme also involved the construction of three road bridges, one footbridge and improvements to side roads and existing junctions. Other works have included new cycling and pedestrian facilities, street lighting, signage, extensive landscaping and tree planting.
Dave Lowiss, Regional Managing Director (North West) for Birse Civils, said: "This has been a very exciting and challenging project for Birse Civils which showcased many disciplines of civil engineering. From day one there has been a real spirit of partnership between our team and Cheshire East Council, with focus on solutions to deliver the scheme both safely and successfully.
"Opening the scheme more than six months early is testament to the success of this collaborative approach. The entire team must be congratulated on the level of engagement with stakeholders to fully integrate them into the project and minimise disruption."
The majority of the budget, £48.4m, was met by Department for Transport, with the remainder provided by Cheshire East Council. The bypass was named North West Transportation Project of the Year 2010 at the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation Awards. Earlier this year, the site team won Gold in the Considerate Constructors Scheme Awards – one of just 63 out of 7,700 sites to achieve this status.
Thanks to the co-operation of Wendy Harkin, and her colleagues at Birse Civils, along with Doug Mackie at Cheshire East, we have been able to provide alderleyedge.com readers with regular updates on the progress of the bypass, details of associated roadworks and aerial photographs.
In total we have published in the region of 40 articles relating to the construction of the A34 bypass over the past 18 months so it seems like a chapter is now closing.
I, like many local residents, look forward with interest to see how the opening of the bypass will effect London Road and the hub of the village.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
There are a good many people I know who are very disappointed with the bypass design, the outcome and devastation of the countryside and the moving of traffic chaos a few miles away at Monks Heath at one end and Wilmslow at the other. How can she claim to speak for everyone?
Mr Osborne and the cavalcade and council dignatories will slap backs and sip champagne whilst Welsh Row remains closed, Soss Moss Lane remains one way and damaged with the grass island at the junction with Chelford Road a watery muddy mess with no repair or renovation in site.
Monks Heath will remain a building site as Cheshire East deliver the lasting remedy and seamless transistion to countryside heaven.
It will be finished when planting schemes are evident, traffic flows easily around the village with little or no disruption, no increase in traffic along Chelford Road, no motorist choosing to go through the village still by choice, because its actuallly easier than taking the bypass.
Then the congratulations can be made.
Brook Lane residents used to see countryside for miles but now (despite hiding the bypass traffic with clever mounds of earth) we have miles of ugly fencing! I can only hope that this is going to be disguised with trees as it's an eyesore!
Also around Brook Lane Bridge (which overlooks lovely countryside) we have high fencing blocking the views. I understand that houses on Wilton Crescent want privacy but there is fencing in places where it is surely not necessary. The open type of fencing like that backing onto the golf course side of the bypass is much more acceptable. Anyone agree?
No more! Wilton Crescent / Alford Place now needs to protected from headlights (I assume) as Brook Lane is much higher than previously. So now views are blocked by an absolutely hideous 6ft high solid fence along Brook Lane where once stood tress and hedgerows.
Planners and Birse have obviously not considered the aesthetics or the wildlife along Brook Lane! I'm hoping they'll be replanting some of the trees and hedgerows that were ripped out. Should I hold my breath?
In addition, the wider road permits cars to tear down at 40/50 mph. Hardly a country lane now and quite dangerous for those children walking to school.
I doubt the bypass will make much difference to traffic through the village as there are minimum get on & get off points. But we shall see.
The disruption to the countryside must be minimised but unfortunately somebody has to lose out as part of the compromise. Perhaps the planting and fencing could be improved but you can't have a bypass without losing some countryside.
The people who are concerned about the tar on green grass must also accept the bypass is needed and has been on the books since WW2! This is also the reason I don't accept any moaning from people living near it. You've had a while to move.
As for the access, I agree with above, the restricted access is much better idea.
And the fences will dull down and weather, and there's plenty of further planting to be done. How about putting in suggestions to shield them with ivy etc. I would like to hear why they are required, as I presume theres many good reasons.
Of course the speed limit should be 60, it much safer than a lot of roads around here, which also have 60 limits. You drive to the conditions, therefor speed doesn't come into it. And again, the noise is a non issue, as its been known the bypass could go in for many many years.
The issue of moving the traffic jam 'down the road' is a problem, but its not now Alderley Edges problem, that's the point of the bypass.