Trans-Pennine corridor

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Mottram bypass and Glossop link road

The A57/A628 Trans-Pennine Upgrade Scheme would have profound adverse impacts on the Longdendale Valley and the western setting of the National Park. The proposals are for a dual carriageway bypass of Mottram and a link road to Glossop, with safety measures in the National Park.

By relieving the traffic jam in Mottram, the proposal is likely to increase traffic along several cross-Park routes such as the A624 to Hayfield, A57 Snake Pass, A628 Woodhead and A6024 to Holmfirth, and through the villages of Langsett, Hollingworth and Tintwistle. We fully support the need to alleviate communities along the route of the adverse traffic conditions but believe that other measures should be tried before major road building turns the area into one vast traffic junction.

A628 Woodhead route

The A628 Woodhead route passes straight through the heart of the Peak District National Park which has the strongest protection in the country. Government proposals for upgrading the route would cause immense damage to well-loved landscapes and European nature conservation sites.

Local residents of Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle have long endured congestion with air pollution and heavy lorries on their doorsteps. Others are looking for a fast all-weather direct road route connecting Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire.

We believe that congestion and connectivity can be significantly improved without building new roads, as shown by research from the Metropolitan Transport Research Unit (MTRU). A package of measures – routing HGVs via the M62, investment in rail and bus services, active travel for local people and slower speeds – would free up road space for longer journeys and contribute to wider sustainability and health objectives in the area.

A new fast trans-Pennine rail link for passengers and freight should be the priority, as supported by the Northern Powerhouse of Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield cities.

Details of the A628 corridor upgrades

These are the piecemeal upgrade plans which will lead to demands for more upgrades rather than resolve the problems along the whole corridor:

• A new dual link road from the M67 roundabout at Hattersley to a new junction on the A57T on Mottram Moor, and a link to the Glossop Spur between Mottram Moor and the A57. These measures aim to free up the Longdendale bottleneck but will also open up the corridor for traffic to divert off the M62 and take the shorter journey. Local people who weren’t using their cars will use them and traffic jams will quickly return along with air pollution and traffic collisions.
• Between Tintwistle and Flouch traffic light cameras, speed cameras and message signs would clutter the route.
• The Hollingworth Tintwistle bypass would then be needed to alleviate these communities.
• Looking further ahead, Transport for the North is investigating a new dual carriageway between the M67 and the M18, joining the M1 in between. This would require a short tunnel under the Thurlstone Moors which would need to be delivered in several parts to stretch the costs over several funding periods.

What you can do

• If you want to help our campaign, please get in touch with our transport campaigner Anne Robinson and we’ll keep you up to date and let you know if we need your support lobbying and letter writing.
• If you live locally in Glossopdale and Longdendale, contact your MP and councillors about the traffic problems and best solutions.