As part of our commitment to Active Travel and achieving net zero by 2040, St Helens Borough Council took the lead on a project to install a CYCLOPS (Cycle Optimised Protected Signals) junction in Lea Green, the first of its kind in Merseyside.
Replacing the roundabout by the Bull and Dog pub (Marshalls Cross Road / Clock Face Road), the CYCLOPS prioritises the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. The scheme forms an integral part of the £15m St Helens Southern Gateway scheme, a partnership between the local authority, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Northern Rail to help make sustainable travel an easier choice for commuters who use Lea Green Railway Station.
Appearing in more and more cities and towns across the UK, CYCLOPS junction's segregate cyclists from motorists, prioritising the safety of people walking and cycling.
The CYCLOPS is one of a number of improvements being introduced around Lea Green Railway Station as part of St Helens Southern Gateway - funded by the Liverpool City Region's Transforming Cities Fund - with work underway on a new decked car park and ticket booking system to take park and ride capacity to around 450 vehicles; a new station building with waiting room, toilets and other customer facilities - along with seven new walking and cycling routes to connect Lea Green to nearby residential, leisure and employment areas.
What is a CYCLOPS Junction?
The unique design of the CYCLOPs junction completely separates pedestrians and cyclists from motor traffic at junctions, reducing the possibility of collisions or conflict. Pedestrians are also able to get where they want to be in fewer stages with more space to wait than on other junction designs.
As well as minimising the number of potential signal phasing/stages to allow for movements around the junction, the CYCLOPS has other important benefits too.
These include:
Signalisation of all cycle - traffic conflicts to ensure separation and safety.
Cycle - cycle conflicts are simple, intuitive and need not be signalised to be managed.
Controlled cycle and pedestrian movements can run simultaneously.
Cyclists can filter left off the roundabout without the need for signal control.
Controlled pedestrian phases are shorter.
How does it work?
The outer 'ring' of the junction - coloured green - is a cycle path, acting like a roundabout with signal-controlled crossings. This allows those who cycle to cross over the junction or make right turns unrestricted by cars or foot traffic, creating a safe route to travel
The inner 'ring' of the junction - coloured red - is dedicated to pedestrians
There are well-defined pedestrian crossings on each side of the junction to provide a safe place to cross the cycle lane for pedestrians.
There are also puffin crossings allowing pedestrians safe travel across the carriageway
All motorised traffic stops at the lights whilst cyclists and pedestrians have their green light signal
Once pedestrians and cyclists have passed, motorised traffic will get the green signal to continue driving and will be able use the junction like normal.
Latest updates
The junction officially opened on Monday 4th September.
Time lapse video of the construction of the new junction
