Concern still being raised about the safety of Townhead junction

Photo: David Platt

The latest collision at Townhead junction

Despite seven accidents and four people being taken to hospital as a result of those accidents, Rochdale Borough Council does not accept the changes made at Townhead junction have made it unsafe.

A seventh accident occurred at the now infamous junction on Sunday (10 January) evening, which resulted in a driver and a passenger being treated for minor injuries in hospital.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/100336/driver-and-passenger-treated-for-minor-injuries-after-townhead-crash

Following this latest accident, concern was yet again raised by local residents, who are worried that the junction is unsafe and a petition was being circulated asking Rochdale Council to change the junction.

https://www.change.org/p/rmbc-make-townhead-junction-safe-before-someone-gets-seriously-hurt

However, despite the increasing number of accidents and local concern continuing to grow, Rochdale Borough Council is standing by the changes to the junction.

Steve Reay, Head of Highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “In order to significantly reduce waiting times at the Townhead Junction, as part of the recent changes, motorists travelling from Littleborough who are turning onto Whitworth Road now need to wait until oncoming traffic has cleared before turning right. This caused confusion for a small number of drivers and there were some accidents in the week after we reopened the junction as a result.

“We have now erected three very large signs to remind drivers of the need to wait before turning and there had been no further accidents at the junction until the incident this weekend. As we do not know the circumstances of this latest incident, we will not be making any comment on it.”

Rochdale Online has been reporting issues at the junction since 24 November 2015.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/news-archives?type=News&searchtype=Phrase&Criteria=Townhead