St Helens' most dangerous junctions according to readers

Over the past five years, more than 1,000 collisions and 22 fatalities have occurred on roads across the borough, and motorists often share their frustration about collision hotspots or dangerous junctions.

Asking readers what they believed was the most dangerous junction in the area, the Star received hundreds of responses to the question.

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Rainford Bypass has been a serious collision hotspot over the years (Image: St Helens Star)
With a number of collisions taking place along the Rainford Bypass in recent years, many residents said that this was the most dangerous road in the borough, particularly at the junction with Mill Lane.

A major junction that links the East Lancs to the M6 motorway, Haydock Island was another popular response to the question. One reader said that confusion rises as green lights are visible from other lanes which makes drivers think they can go.

With the East Lancs linking the north of the borough along the Liverpool to Manchester highway, this was another common answer, particularly around the junction with Kenyons Lane in Haydock.

Haydock Island was a common answer as a dangerous junction (Image: National Highways)
On the borough's major highways, St Helens Linkway was also mentioned numerous times, particularly at the roundabout with Sherdley Road and at the junction with Elton Head Road.

The junction of Kiln Lane and Hard Lane in Dentons Green, Bleak Hill Road and Rainford Road in Windle, Gorsey Lane and Clock Face Road in Clock Face, and Dunriding Lane and Knowsley Road in Eccleston were also given as dangerous junctions from readers.

The new CYCLOPS junction was also mentioned as a dangerous junction by a handful of readers. Although this has been designed to boost safety by segregating motorists from pedestrians and cyclist, the junction has faced criticism for the apparent confusion it has created and turning difficulties for lorries and HGVs.

The CYCLOPS junction has been controversial since it was completed (Image: Steve Samosa)
Earlier this year, St Helens Council launched a road safety strategy named 'Vision Zero' which aims to achieve "no avoidable collisions which result in fatalities or life-changing injuries" on council-maintained roads.

Much of this strategy has been an investment into active travel routes for pedestrians and cyclists, alongside projects like CYCLOPS which aim to reduce the possibility of collisions.

The council says it has also introduced a series of measures in collision hotspots, including the Rainford Bypass, such as reduced speed limits and improvements to signage and road markings, while road safety teams have taken part in a School Streets scheme to close roads outside of schools during drop-off and collection times. 

The council has invested in active travel routes to try and reduce the possibility of collisions (Image: St Helens Council)
Speaking about the strategy, St Helens Borough Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Transport, Councillor Seve Gomez Aspron MBE, said: "Despite data showing the road safety risks in St Helens Borough is slightly lower than region trends, every death or serious injury on our roads is one too many. 

"As a council, we're responsible for 484 miles of road and a further 553 miles of footways which I am determined to ensure are kept safe, accessible and in the best possible condition they can be, whether you drive, walk or cycle. 

"This strategy highlights the specific actions we plan to take in order to manage road safety where prevailing risks are highest and demonstrates how this will work in practice, ensuring that our approach is objective, consistent and based on evidence to help us achieve our goal of creating a safe and well-connected network which supports economic growth development and decarbonisation ambitions."