The council has apologised after a lane closure caused traffic issues on Walney Island.
An emergency closure of the northbound lane on the promenade was put in place on Friday following discovery of an electricity cable that required urgent attention.
The closure was intended to be just for a few hours to allow for immediate remedial works and to minimise disruption, but the closure remained in place longer than planned and led to widespread traffic issues on Friday and Saturday.
While some lane closures had already been planned on Walney - as part of ongoing works to make a busy crossing safer for cyclists and pedestrians - the northbound lane was always intended to remain open to maintain traffic flow during the four-week scheme.
A spokesperson for the council said: “We want to apologise for the traffic issues on Walney Island at the end of last week and over the weekend.
“The discovery of the cable meant emergency work was required to deal with that issue and a lane closure was needed, but it was envisaged this would only take a short time and the northbound lane could reopen with disruption kept to a minimum.
“In the event, the lane remained closed for longer and led to the traffic issues on Walney.’’
The scheme to provide the new toucan crossings will provide safer access for both pedestrians and cyclists travelling to Vickerstown Park across the busy promenade, as well as linking to the ‘active travel’ route on Walney launching in Spring 2025. Cyclists will be able to cross without dismounting, helping to reduce the risk of accidents.
To allow for the works connected with this scheme, revised traffic management arrangements are being put in place and these will be monitored on site by a specialist traffic management company from 7am to 7pm to minimise any further disruption and ensure a smooth traffic flow.
The traffic management is required to ensure the safety of both site crews and road users while the improvement works are carried out.
Businesses in the area, including the Ferry Hotel, will remain open throughout the duration of the works.
The council spokesperson continued: “We always recognised that temporary traffic management while working on the promenade would result in some impact on vehicle users, particularly North Walney residents, during peak times.
“However, we planned the traffic management associated with the improvement scheme to minimise disruption and keep traffic moving.
“The northbound lane closure associated with the unexpected emergency cable works has, however, caused unacceptable levels of disruption over the past few days and we apologise to anyone who found themselves caught up in the disruption.’’
Significant progress has already been made on improved ‘active travel’ routes on Walney.
On West Shore Road and through ‘the Cut’ in Vickerstown Park, a total of 1968 metres of new kerbs have been laid and 4472 square meters of surfacing completed; the equivalent size of just over 17 tennis courts. Street lighting has also been upgraded with new columns and energy efficient lights.
In the coming weeks, new benches and even more lighting is set to be installed along the route, with a dedicated crossing on Mill Lane, traffic calming measures and a three metre-wide cycle path through the park.
The infrastructure will fully separate cyclists from vehicles through enhancing and widening current footpaths. It has been designed for people of all abilities and ages so they can choose to walk, wheel or cycle with ease and ‘actively’ access the growing opportunities at key employment and education sites across Barrow-in-Furness and the planned Earnse Bay Community Hub.
The £1.5 million investment is being funded by the Department for Transport’s Active Travel Fund who have ring-fenced monies to improve infrastructure that will encourage active journeys in the area.
More information on Westmorland and Furness Council’s journey to deliver more active travel infrastructure can be found on www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.