Shaftesbury Avenue, originally known as the Timperley Bypass, is a main road in Timperley, Trafford. It connects to Stockport Road at the west, and Brooklands Roundabout at the east.
History
Construction
In July 1936, the Manchester Town Planning Committee stood up a sub-committee for the purpose of liaising with Cheshire County Council on creating the bridge near Brooklands Roundabout. It was set to be an 80-feet wide dual carriageway with bicycle paths.[1]
Manchester City Council and Cheshire County Council met on 17th September 1936 to discuss road projects to connect the two counties, which included plans for a Timperley Bypass road. At that point in time, representatives at the meeting were unsure how much money the Ministry of Transport would be willing to invest in the discussed projects going forwards.[2]
The 30ft wide bypass was constructed in 1939. Service roads parallel to the bypass were partially constructed, but due to World War II the project was cut short.[3]
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Wright Robinson, inspected the new Timperley Bypass on 8th September 1942 as part of a tour of the city's recent road improvements.[4]
Service roads dispute
In 1954, there were over 50 families wanting to have houses built along Shaftesbury Avenue. Despite everything being ready (land, plans, and builders), both Cheshire County Council and the Ministry of Transport refused to provide service roads for the proposed houses, claiming that the other body should be responsible for their construction.[3]
Pedestrian safety concerns
In the 1950s-1960s there were many safety concerns around the Timperley Bypass, especially around pedestrians crossing it. In April 1955, signs were put up at both ends of the bypass, reading ACCIDENT ZONE FOR 1 MILE TAKE GREATER CARE
.[5][6]
In 1957, a 77-year-old woman was killed while crossing the bypass. According to a local care official, there had been 34 major accidents
on the road in the seven years prior. This was due to a complete lack of crossings, prompting residents of a local care home to pay for a bus to get them across the bypass rather than trying to cross themselves.[6]
In 1958, the Transport Minister did not agree with Altrincham Municipal Borough Council to impose a 30mph speed limit for the bypass. The minister said that 40mph would potentially be possible, but the law at the time did not permit 40mph speed limits outside of the London area, and thus it would be a matter for the future.[7]
In addition to a 30mph speed limit, various other remedies were proposed by residents, including zebra crossings, roundabouts, and traffic lights. It was ultimately down to the Ministry of Transport to introduce any of these remedies, as the local council had no authority for maintaining the bypass.[8]
In July 1960 it was reported that the signs declaring there was no speed limit had been removed from the lampposts for reasons unknown. Altrincham Municipal Borough Council allegedly suspected someone may have been trying to impose a 30mph speed limit, as a lack of the signs would make drivers assume the built-up area speed limit.[9]
Sources
- ↑ Wilmslow and Alderley and Knutsford Advertiser, 31st July 1936, Page 11.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 17th September 1936, Page 8.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Manchester Evening News, 23rd June 1954, Page 5.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 8th September 1942, Page 3.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 22nd April 1955, Page 6.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Manchester Evening News, 31st October 1957, Page 11.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 16th May 1958, Page 12.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 4th August 1958, Page 3.
- ↑ Manchester Evening News, 11th July 1960, Page 3.