Roads UK | The Road to Wigan Pier

Wigan is a bustling northern town with a population of over 81,000 people (according to the 2001 census). Yet it doesn't have a road network that does the town any justice. The borough is supposedly the most congested in Greater Manchester, and has the highest car ownership of any of the region's boroughs.

Given it is the meeting point of the A49 and A577, with a mile-long multiplex of the two thrown in for good measure, it has a few interesting road features, some unusual signs, and a road hidden away behind an mound of earth!

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	The bottom end of Wallgate, between the one way system and Saddle Junction. This section of road often gets heavily congested, with queues trailing the full length of the one way system, simply because of the lack of capacity due to the railway bridge. The new A49 link road should hopefully take a lot of the traffic away, but the main problem is football and rugby traffic, as the DW Stadium is off to the right beyond the bridge.
	Beyond the bridge, with the westbound approach to the Saddle - one lane suddenly widens to three lanes beyond this point. The five lanes shown on the sign relate to beyond the traffic signals, as two lanes merge from the right. Lane one is for the A49 and M6 South; lane two is for the A571; lane three is the A577 and M6 North; the right hand two lanes are for Robin Park and the A49 north (bypassing the town centre).
	The eastbound exit off the Saddle onto Wallgate. The hatched area is often used as a second lane at busy times, which makes for some dangerous cutting-up at times!
	The traffic lights where traffic starts to split for the various directions - the right hand lane moves over to the right for lanes four and five, whilst the second lane splits into two for the A571 and A577. The left lane is solely for the A49 (and for Halfords, which has an access point slightly further on).
	The parallel access road to Halfords and McDonalds. Entry to the road is by the little access point behind the traffic signal, the exit is lower down.
	Just beyond the road splitting into two - over on the left are the lanes for the A49, A571 and A577, whilst the two in the foreground are the lanes heading around the junction and off towards Robin Park. The bus lane (the red lane behind the pole) also heads off onto the A577, and has a separate traffic signal to give buses priority over other traffic.
	A close up of the previous view, showing the A49/A571 and A577 lanes diverging, and the oncoming lanes from both roads.
	The opposite side of the Saddle Junction roundabout, looking towards Wigan. The road on the right is the entrance to a furniture showroom, whilst the road to the left is the rear entrance to Asda. Believe it or not, but a motorway link road was planned to end at this very point! If it had gone ahead, traffic from the M6 north would have entered Wigan here, as the road would have run along the Douglas valley up to Junction 27 at Shevington.
	This is the exit lane from the Saddle into Wallgate. As mentioned earlier, the hatched area is often used as a second queuing lane, even though the lane in front is meant for traffic turning into the garage to the left. The view shows how suddenly the road has to narrow for the railway bridge.
	A rather large "cyclists prohibited" sign. The plate beneath the signs again makes the prohibited sign look contradictory (especially due to its size), but refers to the pavement, not the road. Taken on Wallgate, at the convergence from the one way system.
	Wig-wag signals outside an ambulance station, new style on the left with the old style opposite.
	Wallgate, with Pottery Road emerging from the left.
	Looking along Wallgate towards the town centre.
	Traffic waiting to turn into Pottery Road. Unusually, at this point, the two lanes are segregated by double white lines.
	The opposite end of the one way system, with the filter lane for traffic turning into the industrial estate shown closest to the camera.
	Slightly crazy looking traffic sign! The A49 doesn't actually veer off like that.
	Something rather common in and around Wigan, advanced direction signs with distances on them. The two signs look large and cumbersome together.
	The A49 turning the corner on its trek around the edge of the town centre. The bridge carries the West Coast Main Line.
	Blue bordered signs are pretty rare now in Wigan, but a few still remain, particularly around the town centre. This is a rather unusual sign, instructing drivers on which lane they need for certain car parks.
	A rather over-sized flag sign denoting the entrance to a car park. Really, this should be an advanced direction sign, with the flag sign somewhere around the Give Way sign in the distance. The use of flag signs as advanced signs is rather common around these parts!
	A general view looking towards the River Way gyratory system. Traffic cannot turn right off River Way in either direction, so drivers have to negotiate the one-way system to do so.
	A general shot of the traffic signal heads situated on the gyratory.
	An advanced direction sign advising drivers of local facilities and car parks. The arrows are a little too far over, and the top "P" should be to the right of "Grand Arcade", "Shoppers" and "Millgate". Ideally, the ahead directions should all be in a single section, and probably should be in white patches.
	On another part of the gyratory is another Advanced Direction Sign, again with misaligned arrows and separate sections for various pieces of information.
	An old-style parking sign - the brown background denotes that this car park offers a long-stay facility. Not bad for a pay-and display car park!
	A view of one of the one-way streets on the same part of the gyratory.
	Pre Guildford Rules (hence only the road numbers are on coloured patches) advanced direction sign.
	Some rather old signs with missing letters, and their newer counterparts. The A49 River Way traverses the junction.
	The section of River Way that dissects through the middle of the gyratory. Looking north from the end of Darlington Street.
	Looking back down Darlington Street heading away from the town centre.
	Another view of River Way, looking north.
	Another of the old signs on the corner of King Street and River Way, on the opposite side of the dual carriageway to the previous pictures.
	A series of flag signs at the town centre end of the gyratory. This sign shows how Leigh is rather badly signed (or prioritised) in many parts of the town; despite being the borough's second town - and a primary town too - it only seems to appear on secondary destination signs - such as this blue bordered example. There is also an error on here - the A58 should be in brackets as that road misses Wigan by about three miles.
	Many signs giving drivers a choice of destinations... and directing people towards Leigh in completely the wrong direction!
	What? This sign effectively means "Priority over oncoming vehicles prohibited", yet on the other side of the gate (which this proudly stands in front of) is a give way sign! Is this sign legal?
	A useless exit road, given it has a row of concrete bollards across it.
	Is parking allowed or not? Effectively, as this is in a red-bordered circle, it states "no parking is prohibited."
	Scholes, and its very short one way section - from the sign to the junction immediately behind. This is one of three one-word named roads on the B5238 in Wigan, the others are Whelley and Poolstock. All three are named after the suburbs the road passes through.
	View of Chapel Lane looking northbound towards the gyratory. The West Coast Mainline passes overhead.
	Queen Street, where the A49 proceeds up from Wallgate - the traffic lights at the far end featured earlier on.
	Flag signs directing traffic at the end of Queen Street - interestingly there are signs offering drivers directions if they decide to go back on themselves!
	Chapel Lane, now part of the B5238. This section of road has recently been heavily refurbished as part of the new Westwood Park link route. This should become the A49 once the new link route has been completed.
	Chapel Lane at the Poolstock junction. Traffic can currently use both lanes to turn right, catering for where the majority of the traffic currently goes.
	A view from the junction back up Chapel Lane. Not bad for a B Road!!
	B5238 Poolstock, heading away from town.
	Westwood Road, looking north towards the town centre.
	The roundabout where the last photo was taken from. Hmm, I wonder why those lamp posts are there beyond the earth mound...
	This is the hidden secret, an extension to the Westwood Road, built in anticipation of providing a link to the now cancelled A5225 bypass. However, part of it may be built as part of a bypass for the B5238.
	The north end of River Way, looking up to the Powell Street junction. The A49 makes another TOTSO here, turning right at the traffic lights.
	Double-headed traffic lights on Powell Street - the start of Central Park Way is ahead, with River Way to the right.
	Interesting but incorrect use of the Motorway font on this sign. Looks very odd, especially as its the only sign in the whole of central Wigan to feature that font!
	Nice, big, wide... unclassified road. Useful though as it takes traffic onto two of Wigan's busiest roads - the B5238 towards Aspull, and the A577 towards Hindley.
	Central Park Way. Nice wide single-carriageway road - but with a 30mph limit. The road, part of the A49, is named after the rugby ground that once stood to the left of this road. Now stands a Tesco, and Wigan Rugby Club is now housed in the DW Stadium.
	More signs with distances. and again, the A58 should be in brackets!
	This sign seems to have its priorities the wrong way round! The broader line should be given to the A49 - why would Tesco be deemed as more important as a road leading to a motorway?
	An old blue-bordered sign. Interesting seeing the A49 mentioned here!
	Central Park Way, looking towards town.
	An old style car park sign. The orange background denotes that this is a short-stay car park, however the colour-coded signs telling you this have long gone.
	Powell Street, the B5375.
	Powell Street ends and Northway begins. These roads are very short!
	And finally... speed humps on a dual carriageway? Sorry to disappoint, but there should be a left-pointing arrow on a separate panel beneath.

These photographs were taken in February 2008.