Gridlock as motorists endure weekend of misery (From Knutsford Guardian)

Gridlock as motorists endure weekend of misery

11:20am Thursday 16th August 2012 in News By James Wilson

A COMBINATION of roadworks and a crash on the M6 brought traffic in Knutsford to a standstill over the weekend.

An accident on the southbound carriageway at junction 19 plus the ongoing gas works in the town centre caused misery for many road users on Friday.

That misery carried on into the weekend as visitors and townspeople attempted to travel around the town.

National Grid is working in Canute Place and Manchester Road, and with traffic lights in operation on Friday and over the weekend the works caused tailbacks – with some motorists telling the Guardian it had taken them almost 50 minutes to get from Northwich to Knutsford.

Traffic heading towards Canute Place in the direction of Northwich was forced to head down Princess Street, causing queues to form down Tatton Street.

The circular bus service, the 300, was even forced to terminate at Booths – but some passengers were left stranded as signs had not been placed at the stop in Canute Place.

Wilson Hamman, a former town and borough councillor, told the Guardian he couldn’t understand why Princess Street had been used as a diversion route.

“The bus couldn’t get on to the A50 because there was a diversion sign telling everyone to go up Princess Street for no apparent reason,” he said.

“But for bus users there was no indication that the bus wasn’t going there.

“People were waiting at the bus stop because there was no sign at the bus stop to say it wasn’t stopping.”

According to the timeframe documents released to the Guardian by National Grid earlier this year, the work in Canute Place is due to last until August 24.

 What do you think about the road chaos in the town while the gas works have been taking place? Write to us at knutsford@guardiangrp.co.uk.