Local Democracy Reporting Service explores how ‘transformational’ project could take shape
Plans showing the proposed route of the new M58 link road(Image: Local Democracy Reporting Service)
Plans for a link road between Bolton and Wigan which was first called for shortly after World War II could now be revived.
Proposals for a new road between the towns date back almost 80 years, pre-dating the building of the M6, M61 and M58, motorways which would be linked by the route.
This month, Wigan council has published a strategy for ‘east-west road links which they claim would be ‘transformational for the communities impacted’.
A report to the council’s place and environment scrutiny committee set out the masterplan, conceding that ‘the link will continue to be brought forward in separate phases’.
The council said it could be realised through ‘a combination of developments being delivered on the ground and funding to be accessed from both Greater Manchester streams and national programmes’.
Plans for such a road date back almost 80 years with a route first identified shortly after World War II. A detailed route, the A5225, was approved in the early 1990s with a draft order recommended to be made in 1996 following a public inquiry.
However, later that year, the Department for Transport confirmed that the scheme would be withdrawn from the national roads programme.
An earlier report, presented to Bolton council, said: “The connections between Bolton and Wigan in an east/west direction have for decades been seen as needing resolution, but the complexity of the infrastructure requirements have resulted in this route not being successful in achieving funding or being delivered.
“The aspirations for a link road go back to the immediate post-war period when a scheme (Route 225) was identified in the road plan for Lancashire.”
This month’s scrutiny committee report in Wigan, said: “The key task for the council has been to position the east-west link proposal to take align to this context and to make the case for investment as specific funding opportunities emerge.
“Significant work has been undertaken to develop the business case for the route and to ensure that there is confidence as regards costs and delivery arrangements.”
Wigan council said phase one of the work is likely to consist of the development funded sections such as North Leigh Park, the Gibfield Park Way extension and Park Avenue Central and South, near Westhoughton.
They said with the recent announcement that North Leigh Park has been added to the Government’s ‘New Homes Accelerator’ initiative, there is now a genuine prospect of the related link road scheme being delivered in the short to medium term.
Here are the primary phases of the east west link road proposals and the projects that need to happen for them to be delivered:
A map showing the sections of east/west new roads which would link the M61 to the M6(Image: )
M58 Link Road
The M58 Link Road is a proposed 2.3km single carriageway link between junction 6 of the M58 and junction 26 of the M6 and Goose Green in Wigan, where it would connect into the A49 Warrington Road via existing highway at Smithy Brook Road.
This infrastructure will provide a new high profile access point into Wigan town centre from the M58 and M6, and will support several key employment sites through providing significantly improved access to the motorway network northbound.
The council said the link road will also alleviate traffic on the A577 Ormskirk Road through Orrell, Pemberton, Newtown and Wigan Pier Quarter, which is one of Wigan borough’s busiest routes, addressing a severe weakness in Wigan’s transport network.
It added that building on the success of the A49 Link Road, the new road will form a major piece in the jigsaw to improve east-west connections across the borough.
Wigan-Hindley Link Road
The Wigan-Hindley Link Road would be four kilometres in length, including the related upgrade of Seaman Way to the A577 Manchester Road between Ince-in-Makerfield and Hindley.
It would provide a new access over the west coast main line railway as an extension of the A49 Link Road, which would remove through traffic from Wigan town centre and the A577 between Wigan and Hindley.
In association with the South Hindley Link Road and North Leigh Park Link Road, 1,650 homes are dependent on this section of the route.
This section is under consideration as part of DfT’s Major Route Network / Large Local Majors programme schemes review.
At the time of writing the report it was anticipated that DfT confirmation as to which schemes would remain in the programme would be received in 2026.
South Hindley Link Road
It is proposed for a residential-led development of up to 2,000 new homes, and supporting infrastructure and services to form an urban extension to Hindley.
It will include a new local centre and community facilities to serve residents and a link road running east-west through the site from the A58
Liverpool Road to the A578 Leigh Road that is of a suitable standard to accommodate bus services.
Phase 1 of the development, which is up to 350 units is mostly reliant on existing infrastructure, whilst the full quantum of development is dependent on a link road connecting the A58 Liverpool Road to the A578 Leigh Road – the South Hindley Link Road.
North Leigh Park Link Road
The remaining land at North Leigh Park has outline planning permission for residential development with remaining capacity for around 1,500 homes.
The development will also include a new local centre comprising a range of commercial uses and community facilities to serve the new homes and existing residents in Westleigh, Pickley Green and the eastern end of Hindley Green, and the delivery of a link road from the A578 Leigh Road to the A579 Atherleigh Way.
This section of the link road will be delivered directly through the development.
Gibfield Park Way Extension
The Places For Everyone (PfE) Plan allocates land west of Gibfield for a mixed-use development comprising around 500 new homes and around 45,500 sqm of employment floorspace.
The policy also requires that a good quality road access is provided into the site, including through an extension of Gibfield Park Way northwards, and that a route for the continuation of Gibfield Park Way further northwards towards the rail line should be safeguarded within the site, to connect into potential future road infrastructure to be provided in Bolton.
It is therefore anticipated that west of Gibfield will deliver an extension of Gibfield Park Way to a point 230 metres south of the railway line. A planning application is expected in 2026.
West of Gibfield – Park Avenue Link
This section is a short connection between the west of Gibfield and Lee Hall developments, which is mostly within Wigan borough and includes a bridge over the Atherton rail line.
Peel Land have revealed development plans for Lee Hall in Westhoughton, including a section of the east/west link road called Park Avenue(Image: )
Lee Hall and Hulton Park – Park Avenue
To the north of the Wigan borough boundary, Bolton Council is working with Peel Land to secure new homes and a link road at Hulton Park including Lee Hall and Park Avenue, east of Westhoughton, through to the A6 and M61 Junction 5.
Park Avenue has hybrid planning consent with detailed permission for Park Avenue North and Central, and outline for Park Avenue South. Peel Land is working on a new planning application to allow the infrastructure to be brought forward with the key housing and employment floorspace elements.
Infrastructure improvements required to deliver the development sites include Park Avenue North, Park Avenue Central and Park Avenue South. It is anticipated that this section of the route would be funded through a combination of developer funding from the Lee Hall and Hulton
Park sites and external funding to be accessed by Bolton Council.
