A new crossing has been unveiled close to 3 local schools as part of a £1.9 million investment into improving road safety across the borough.
The new crossing spans the busy Shawclough Road, close to Shawclough and Healey primary schools and Falinge Park secondary school.
And in a change from the usual facilities, the new crossing will also cater for horses, as well as walkers, cyclists and wheelchair users. This facility is known as a Pegasus crossing and is only the third of its type in the borough.
As well as supporting local schoolchildren, the crossing provides easy access into the Healey Dell Nature Reserve, a hugely popular local beauty spot, enjoyed by thousands of residents and visitors each year.
Other improvements have also been made in addition to the crossing, which has been funded by Transport for Greater Manchester. Work has taken place on a forest path which connects Cronkeyshaw Common in Fieldhouse Road to the new crossing in Shawclough Road. A section of the path has been split into 2 separate sections where it meets the new crossing, one for horse riders and one for cyclists and pedestrians. This path is part of the history of the area, having previously been the route of the Rochdale to Bacup railway line, which operated until 1949 and carried coal trains into the 1960s.
A new pathway has also been created on the Dell Road side, to enable people on foot or bike to access Healey Dell without having to go via the busy junction of Dell Road and Shawclough Road, which is often busy with cars.
Councillor Shah Wazir, cabinet member for highways at Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“This fantastic new facility will make it easier for children to walk and cycle to school and this is something we should be encouraging as much as possible.
“In addition, it will improve access to Healey Dell, one of the jewels in the borough’s crown. Our environment teams will now be planting up in this area, and, once these final touches have been done, this brilliant scheme will be complete and looking great.”
Vikki Rayment, deputy head of Shawclough Primary School, welcomed the new crossing. She said:
“This will encourage children to walk, cycle or scooter, which brings huge health benefits for them. It will also encourage our pupils to visit the Dell with their parents or carers in their own time and brings the added benefit of boosting road safety, which is something we always teach children about in class.”
The crossing is the first of a number of new crossings, funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, which will be installed across the borough this year. Middleton’s crossing, in Oldham Road, close to Warwick Mill, will be complete in the next few weeks, and work to create a new crossing over Halifax Road, close to Smallbridge Library, is now on site. Schemes in Heywood and Kirkholt will get under way later in the year.