'Park traffic is diabolical'
SHOPPERS are calling for action to tackle hold-ups on the road into a retail park.
Customers blame traffic lights on the roundabout at the junction of Nantwich Road and Macon Way in Crewe for delays in reaching Grand Junction Retail Park.
Meanwhile traders fear the tailbacks are putting some people off visiting the shopping area.
Grand Junction Retail Park has grown over the years and now has 23 units.
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But shoppers, residents and traders say that while the car park has been extended, not enough has been done to tackle traffic problems in Macon Way.
Sharyn Graham, who has worked as branch manager for bed company Dreams at the park for nearly three years, said: "Macon Way is diabolical, we do suffer because of the busy roads.
"Trying to get a parking space is ridiculous, customers are irate and I know how they feel."
"Grand Junction has improved so much over the past few years but it has created traffic problems."
Three hours free parking is available at Grand Junction and the run-up to Christmas say hundreds more shoppers choosing to visit the site.
Dave Buttery, who works at Carpet Right, said: "It is bad most of the time.
"I think they need to make it a one-way system to filter the traffic down."
Nicky Barnes, store manager at Bensons Beds, said: "It is a nightmare, they have extended the park and have not done anything with the access.
"We have had people that will be queuing that have ended up turning around and going to Stoke-on-Trent.
"I have raised this issue before but I can't seem to get an answer."
Brands to join Grand Junction recently include Boots, TK Maxx, Marks & Spencer Simply Food and Frankie and Benny's.
The calls for action by shoppers and traders are being supported by Councillor Brian Silvester, who represents Willaston and Rope on Cheshire East Council.
He called for the traffic lights on the Macon Way roundabout to be removed.
He said: "This roundabout is a nightmare.
"The lights are not co-ordinated and there is a constant stop-start process as you try to shuffle through one of the main routes into and out of Crewe.
"It would save a lot more money and help the traffic flow in and out of Crewe if the lights were turned off permanently."
Savills, a global real estate services provider, has asset managed Grand Junction Retail Park for several years.
No-one from the company was available to comment to The Sentinel yesterday.
Comments
by Redpitlad
Friday, December 28 2012, 8:15PM
“This what you get when you build a retail park next to a junction which was all ready a traffic hot spot for congestion in and out of Crewe.”
by Bernwa
Friday, December 28 2012, 7:41PM
“Roundabouts do not work satisfactorily when a minority of the entrance roads to the roundabout dominate in terms of traffic quantity - especially when the heaviest traffic has to keep giving way to the right.”
by stevenweiss
Friday, December 28 2012, 2:43PM
“If shoppers are turning around to go to stoke on trent, they'll be in for a shock. Stoke's roads are 10 times worse.”
by DoctorDo
Friday, December 28 2012, 12:10PM
“Traffic lights cause more congestion than they solve.
Remove the ones from the roundabout and also the ones along Nantwich Road. I think that's the road, the one which passes the railway station. Replace the Nantwich Road lights with roundabouts and then traffic will only stop when it has to.
All we'll need then is drivers who know how to use a roundabout properly.
Oops, I think I've just found the flaw in my cunning plan!!”
by Bernwa
Friday, December 28 2012, 11:50AM
“P.S. The parking area for the retail park is woefully inadequate too.”
by Bernwa
Friday, December 28 2012, 11:38AM
“Let's face it, at busy times, Crewe is a traffic disaster area anyway, but sticking to the point, no matter what you do with the Macon way roundabout, you still have to contend with the mini- roundabout at the junction of Macon way and Hungerford Road and then the roundabout which feeds into the retail park and the town centre.
Notice the word roundabout keeps coming up. The emphasis on roundabouts in Crewe is the main reason for most of the traffic problems - whether controlled by traffic lights or not.
Attempts have been made to keep the old roundabout system by adding traffic lights but it only works when the traffic flow is relatively light - the roundabouts are not big enough to cope with heavy traffic and the number of traffic lights on them.
The only answer is major road works. Get rid of the roundabouts and control the traffic with lights. Until this is done, there will always be traffic problems in Crewe.
By the way, I had the dubious pleasure of travelling this route only yesterday.”