Salford junction: £700k crossing plan divides residents, Manchester 2026

Key Points

• A £689,795.26 contract has been signed by Salford Council for the safety works at the junction of Singleton Road and Bury Old Road.
• The site is known to have witnessed six accidents within five years, one of which included a child being knocked down while riding a bicycle, according to the council officials.
• Rosgal Ltd will be responsible for implementing the project, which will consist of a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing and wider footways.
• However, Ward councillor Andrew Walters has endorsed pedestrian safety schemes but warned about the signalisation making traffic problems even worse in all directions.
• Residents complained during the April meeting that the congestion on Singleton Road may result in people being unable to come out of their driveway, requiring around 15 minutes to clear.
• Mike Usker, cabinet member for Planning, Transport, Sustainable Development and Regeneration, endorsed the safety work after years of complaints made by ward councillors.

Manchester (Manchester Mirror) September 25, 2026 – Salford Council is pressing ahead with a £689,795.26 scheme to install a new signal-controlled pedestrian crossing and widen footways at the junction of Singleton Road and Bury Old Road, a location council officers have described as hazardous after six reported accidents in five years, including a collision involving a child on a bicycle. The contract has been awarded to Rosgal Ltd, with works intended to improve pedestrian safety at a busy corridor linking Prestwich to Manchester city centre. However, the proposal has drawn criticism from some local representatives and residents who fear the full signalisation of the junction will increase vehicle delays and deepen existing congestion problems.

What safety improvements are planned for Singleton Road and Bury Old Road?

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, the council’s procurement meeting this week confirmed approval of the nearly £700,000 contract to deliver a new pedestrian crossing at the Singleton Road and Bury Old Road intersection, alongside wider pathways and signal-controlled crossings. Council officials cited accident data showing six incidents over a five-year period at the site, including one in which a child riding a bicycle was struck by a vehicle, as a key driver for the intervention. The works are designed to create a more controlled environment for people walking and cycling through the junction, with traffic signals intended to manage vehicle movements and provide dedicated crossing time for pedestrians.

Why do some councillors and residents fear traffic will get worse?

Local ward councillor Andrew Walters has voiced strong concerns about the traffic implications of the scheme, despite supporting the aim of improving pedestrian safety. “I wholeheartedly support efforts to enhance pedestrian safety at the junction,” Councillor Walters said, according to the Manchester Evening News. “However, I am profoundly worried that we are on the verge of expending nearly £700,000 on a project that officials have admitted will actually exacerbate traffic delays in all directions.” He added: “I am not particularly comforted by the thought that the increased congestion will at least be shared more evenly.” “What we are receiving is a costly full signalization scheme that may bolster pedestrian safety but does so at the cost of worsening the traffic situation.”

Residents raised similar issues at an April meeting, describing severe congestion along Singleton Road that at times prevents them from leaving their driveways. According to accounts cited by the Manchester Evening News, vehicles queued along the route can take as long as 15 minutes to disperse, creating frustration for households and businesses reliant on the road. Councillor Walters noted he felt “deeply” concerned after hearing these representations, and said he was “not particularly reassured” by assurances that any additional delays would be distributed more evenly across approaches to the junction.

Who is delivering the works and what has the council’s transport lead said?

The contract for the junction improvements has been awarded to Rosgal Ltd, which will be responsible for constructing the new crossing and associated highway alterations. At the procurement meeting, Coun Mike Usker, Salford’s cabinet member for Planning, Transport, Sustainable Development and Regeneration, indicated support for the safety-focused measures. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Coun Usker said he had been approached “for a considerable period” by ward councillors regarding pedestrian safety concerns in the area, signalling that pressure for action at the site has built over time. His comments underscore the council’s position that the primary objective of the scheme is to reduce risk to pedestrians at a location with a documented accident history.

How does the accident history shape the case for change?

Council officers have pointed to six accidents recorded at the junction over five years as evidence of the site’s risk profile. Among those incidents was a collision in which a child on a bicycle was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road, a detail highlighted by officials to illustrate the vulnerability of pedestrians and cyclists at the location. The presence of repeated incidents over a sustained period has been used to justify investment in controlled crossings and improved footway infrastructure, with the aim of separating pedestrian movements from vehicle flows more effectively.

What are the wider implications for Prestwich–Manchester corridor traffic?

Singleton Road functions as a key link between Prestwich and Manchester city centre, meaning changes to traffic flow at major junctions along the route can have knock-on effects for commuters and local traffic. Residents’ descriptions of queues lasting up to 15 minutes suggest that even modest increases in delay at signals could extend peak-period congestion. Councillor Walters’ warning that delays may worsen “in all directions” points to the possibility that signalisation could reduce overall junction capacity during busy periods, even as it improves crossing opportunities for pedestrians. The tension between safety gains and traffic performance is central to the debate surrounding the scheme.

What happens next as the £700k scheme moves forward?

With the contract now approved and Rosgal Ltd appointed, the next phase will involve detailed design finalisation and the scheduling of on-site works. The council’s transport portfolio lead has signalled backing for the safety improvements, while local representatives continue to highlight resident concerns about congestion. As construction approaches, attention is likely to focus on how traffic management during the works is handled, and whether any mitigation measures can be introduced to limit additional delays once the new signals are operational.

Background: how did this development come about?

The push for safety improvements at the Singleton Road and Bury Old Road junction has built over several years, driven by accident data and sustained pressure from local representatives. Ward councillors have repeatedly raised pedestrian safety concerns with the council’s transport lead, who noted at this week’s procurement meeting that he had been approached “for a considerable period” about the site. The formalisation of the scheme follows council officers’ assessment that the junction’s accident record, including the incident involving a child cyclist, warranted investment in controlled crossings and wider footways. The £689,795.26 contract value reflects the scale of civil engineering and signalling work required to reconfigure the junction.

Prediction: how could this affect Salford residents, commuters and local businesses?

If the new signal-controlled crossing reduces conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians, the junction could see fewer collisions over time, particularly for people walking and cycling. However, if signal timings reduce junction throughput during peak hours, residents along Singleton Road may experience longer queues and increased difficulty accessing driveways, as previously described at the April meeting. Commuters using the Prestwich Manchester corridor could face extended journey times, especially if delays propagate to adjacent junctions.

Local businesses that depend on passing traffic or timely deliveries may also feel the impact if congestion intensifies. The overall effect will depend on how the signals are calibrated, whether adaptive timing is used to respond to traffic demand, and whether complementary measures are introduced to manage flows on surrounding streets.