Council’s Highways teams keep road network safe during pandemic

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Highways Service has changed its roadworks programme to help keep its workers and the public safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

Key repair and maintenance works are continuing to ensure that the road network remains safe for all users of the highway including key workers, emergency services and delivery vehicles.

Work will also continue on some planned major improvement schemes where government advice relating to construction works and social distancing can be complied with.  For example, the scheme of improvements at Sutton Way in Ellesmere Port will begin again later this week.  The scheme is creating 4.2km of new shared cyclist and pedestrian space along Sutton Way Boulevard between the A41/Green Lane and Whitby Road/Stanney Lane.

Some maintenance works will also continue to prevent the roads from deteriorating which could create a backlog of works when things return back to normal in the borough.

The teams will be cutting grass verges along the road network and will use this opportunity to also carry out litter picking, gully emptying and street lighting repairs while the traffic management is in operation, to minimise any future disruption to the travelling public.

Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore said: “Our highways service has a vital role to play in making sure essential workers and deliveries can get around safely, which is why we’re continuing with roadworks where it’s safe for us to do so.

“With reduced traffic on our roads, we’re prioritising schemes that keep the roads safe and prevent them deteriorating, and delaying some works that we can’t do safely at this time.

“Our improvement works at Sutton Way in Ellesmere Port will see teams following social distancing guidelines, please can we ask any passing pedestrians to also make sure they social distance and do not approach the teams.”