News Beat
Locals and businesses on why a Wigan to Bolton link road is needed
That was before the M6 and the M61 – the motorways serving the two towns – were built. But now, a local MP has effectively staked his political reputation on getting the road between Orrell and the Chequerbent roundabout at Westhoughton, near Bolton, built.
Makerfield’s MP, Josh Simons, took to social media last week, posting a video highlighting the need for such a road.
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In fact, the road on his side of Wigan, at Goose Green, has been partially built and forms a dual carriageway as part of the A49 called Westwood Way, but it stops abruptly at a roundabout where traffic is diverted towards Wigan town centre.
Plans to build such a road – known as Route 225 – linking Junction 25 of the M6 with Junction 5 of the M61 have been tabled and then cancelled many times over the decades because of a lack of money and an apparent inability of the Wigan and Bolton local authorities to work together on such a scheme.
However, Mr Simons, who is also a parliamentary secretary for the Cabinet Office, has now stated that he is pushing for Government funding in 2026 for the long-awaited link road.
In his video, he said: “Imagine a time, when it was four years after the Second World War. That was when this road was first promised to the people in my constituency.
“Every decade after that, it’s been cancelled, mothballed, split up into component parts and put back together because Westminster and Whitehall do not understand why we need this road.”
And he added: “I am going to make sure that this government commits to funding that road in the next year-round funding cycle. That is my pledge. I will not rest until the M6-M61 link road gets built in full.”
For residents and businesses in both Wigan and Bolton who say they are facing all-day-long hold-ups on routes from Chequerbent roundabout, towards Leigh and Wigan, that is music to their ears.
Nichola Hulbert, 44, and he husband Dr Fab Equizi, 60, run the Enhance Clinispa beauty business at Chequerbent.
Nichola told how she was forced to move from her home in Leigh Road, one-and-a-half miles away from her salon, to Horwich, which is much further away, because of the gridlocked roads.
“It was taking me between 20 and 40 minutes to get to work by road,” she said. “It was bonkers. “Moving to Horwich enabled me to get here much quicker, even though it is about four miles away. It was hell on wheels before.”
Fab added: “My treatment room looks out onto the roundabout, and I can see it’s bumper-to-bumper from mid-afternoon.”
Justin Cocker, 55, works at the La Rosa restaurant on the roundabout and lives close by on Manchester Road.
“I’ve been here 25 years, and it’s always been busy,” he said. “But it’s as bad as ever now. Park Road, leading into Westhoughton and going towards Leigh and Wigan, is always clogged up, even when it’s not rush hour.”
Park Road resident Olive Vanden, 63, said: “It’s even bad on Sundays. You would think it would be better at weekends, but sometimes, it’s worse.
“I’ve got a mobility scooter, and I often can’t get across the road, because the drivers of cars won’t let me cross.
“A lot of my neighbours are people who have lived here all their lives, and they’re sick of it.”
Meanwhile, in Wigan, the frustration of people trying to move around the town is equally palpable.
Shaun Breheny, 60, is a Your House Group maintenance worker. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) caught up with him in Masefield Drive.
He said: “There are too many houses being built, bearing in mind the roads. Plus, they are making roads narrower for cycle lanes, which adds to congestion. I live not far from the M6, and the congestion is horrendous.
“It’s worse when there are so many road works, adding to the hold-ups. Traffic around here is terrible. It’s a shame.”
A truck driver, who parked up to take a break near the A49, did not wish to be named. But he said: “It’s not just Wigan. I live in St Helens and it’s just the same there.”
Martin Johnson, 33, lives in Pemberton, but works at a company in Goose Green. He said: “The traffic in Wigan is awful. If you are going from here (Goose Green) to Wigan (town centre) you can be stuck in traffic for about an hour.”
Paul Wallace, 71, is the boss of Abbey Bespoke Joinery at Goose Green. “This has been going on for years and years,” he said.
“We have trouble going from here to Atherton and to Spring View – it’s awful. The problem is that there are more cars on the road, and it’s getting worse everywhere.
“Trying to get through traffic in the morning is chaotic. Ince is only a mile or two away, and it can take more than an hour to get there from Goose Green.”
