{"id":596828,"date":"2026-05-21T21:03:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/596828\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T21:03:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T21:03:14","slug":"the-fury-over-rochdales-spaghetti-junction-as-residents-horrified","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/596828\/","title":{"rendered":"The fury over Rochdale&#8217;s &#8216;spaghetti junction&#8217; as residents &#8216;horrified&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The roadworks came as an unpleasant surprise to locals this week<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"CGI of how Sudden junction in Rochdale would look once complete\" loading=\"eager\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1_CGI-of-how-Sudden-junction-in-Rochdale-would-look-once-complete.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"CGI of how Sudden junction in Rochdale would look once complete\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">CGI of how Sudden junction in Rochdale would look once complete(Image: Rochdale council)<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Roadworks, chaos and traffic are all expected to get worse now work has started on what is fast becoming known as <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/rochdale\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Rochdale<\/a>\u2019s \u2018spaghetti junction\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Sudden junction connects major roads from <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/heywood\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Heywood<\/a> and Castleton with Roch Valley Way and Rochdale bypass. Roadworks connected to the cycle lane installation along Manchester Road all the way to Castleton have already caused aggravation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">That work has now reached Sudden junction, which will get an \u2018intelligent signal system\u2019 in order to reduce congestion as well as road resurfacing work as part of a \u00a35m package. But motorists will effectively have to suffer in the short-term to get what the council sees as long-term benefits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Many locals described scenes similar to a \u2018crystal maze\u2019 when the workers descended on the junction on Monday morning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/newsletter-preference-centre\/?view=Solus&amp;mailingListId=0c190a31-339c-45e5-9b4c-274e3c8d78bf&amp;utm_source=solusarticle\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_self\">Click here for our dedicated Makerfield by-election newsletter<\/a> with the latest updates and analysis<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Local resident Madeeha Sheikh said: \u201cOn Monday morning we were horrified as residents to find so many cones and barriers placed absolutely everywhere across different access points at this junction.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cThere was also lots of signage. The whole area looked like what I can describe as some type of crystal maze.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_Roadworks-at-Sudden-junction-in-Rochdalejp.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cBus stops near the junction have been closed off and access to our local <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/tesco\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Tesco<\/a> has now become restricted. On Monday, what usually was a 10 to 15 minute journey locally for people turned into over an hour just to get down one side of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Locals have also bemoaned the restrictions on pedestrian routes across the junction as well as the removal of trees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The local authority believes the work will be completed by <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/christmas\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Christmas<\/a>. The council added that they are monitoring the traffic problems via CCTV and are making changes to improve the situation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Increasing capacity southbound on the A58 and on Edinburgh Way and accelerating certain parts of the works are actions they\u2019ve already taken.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale\" loading=\"lazy\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0_Roadworks-at-Sudden-junction-in-Rochdale.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p aria-label=\"Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Roadworks at Sudden junction in Rochdale<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">A spokesperson for Rochdale Borough Council, said: \u201cWhile the work taking place along Manchester Road is challenging for people travelling through this area at the moment, it will bring significant long-term improvements once complete.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cAt the heart of the scheme is the upgrade of all traffic lights to an intelligent signal system, which will respond to real time traffic flow to speed up journeys and reduce congestion along this busy route. In addition, the project, which is being funded by Transport for Greater Manchester, involves the full resurfacing of all roads and footpaths along the route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cOther improvements include an additional right turn lane from Manchester Road onto Edinburgh Way close to Tesco, and the removal of a section of bus lane between <a aria-label=\"\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk\/all-about\/bolton\" rel=\"follow nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"\">Bolton<\/a> Road and Roch Valley Way.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cThe scheme has also introduced a number of additional safety features, such as new pedestrian crossings, including one close to Highfield Hospital, which previously could only be accessed via an underpass.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The roadworks came as an unpleasant surprise to locals this week CGI of how Sudden junction in Rochdale&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":596829,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[59,57,58,50,229,2437,22805,203959,557,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-596828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-rochdale","tag-rochdale-council","tag-rochdale-town-centre","tag-transport","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596828","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596828"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596828\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596829"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}