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Greater Manchester has launched the city region’s third CYCLOPS junction.
The new junction, where Stretford Road meets Chorlton Road, will form part of the Chorlton to Manchester Busy Beeway, a £13.4 million route linking Chorlton, Whalley Range, Stretford and Hulme with the city centre.
Designed by Greater Manchester engineers, CYCLOPS stands for Cycle Optimised Protected Signals. The design of the CYCLOPs junction completely separates pedestrians and cyclists from motor traffic at junctions. People travelling on foot are also able to get where they want to be in fewer stages with more space to wait than on other junction designs.
A further seven CYCLOPS junctions are currently under construction in Greater Manchester. They include one CYCLOPS junction in Bury at Angouleme Way and Market Street which will be completed in November. A major scheme in Trafford Road, Salford, includes a further six CYCLOPS junctions. This is expected to be completed by spring 2022.
Transport commissioner Chris Boardman said: “This latest CYCLOPS junction epitomises what we’re doing – creating safe spaces for walking and cycling that meet our necessary safety standards; routes and junctions that we’d feel happy for a 12-year-old to use, and that a person in a wheelchair will feel comfortable travelling on.
“Our spend per head in Greater Manchester is currently around £18 per year – that’s almost at the levels enjoyed in Denmark and The Netherlands. This latest junction launch is part of a 10-year mission of making the city-region one of the best places in the world to travel on foot and by bike.”
TfGM’s CYCLOPS junctions have made the shortlist for the Steve Berry Highways Authority Innovation Award at the 2021 Highways Awards. The category recognises authorities whose approach and innovation has allowed them to develop a scheme that delivers measurable and sustainable benefits to the community.
The CYCLOPS junction won a Brake safety award in 2020 and are now being built in other cities in the UK, including Cambridge.
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Manchester City Council’s executive member for environment, said: “In Manchester, we are committed to making it as easy as possible for people walking and cycling to get around our city. We are continuing to invest in active travel as it represents one of the best ways to help people ditch their cars and use more environmentally-friendly ways of getting around. The CYCLOPS junction scheme – a UK first – is just one of the ways we have looked to improve our road network, making them safer for everyone using them.”
