Motorists face months of traffic chaos with roadworks planned for Walney Bridge 

The work to remove the roundabout where Jubilee Bridge meets Bridge Road and North Road by the Barrow shipyard site and replace it with three-way traffic lights is being carried out in a bid to tackle ongoing and future congestion.

BAE Systems has admitted the roadworks will cause "short-term disruption" but insist they will provide "significant long-term improvements".

BAE was granted planning permission for the £300m shipyard redevelopment, ahead of planned construction of the Successor submarine programme, subject to a number of conditions including a traffic management plan. 

At its peak, the site redevelopment will involve 850 construction workers with the shipyard's workforce set to increase by around 1,000.

The traffic management plan involved assessing around 26 junctions across Barrow, and the expected impact of construction traffic and increased workforce. Proposed improvements must then be approved by Cumbria County Council's highways department.

The Jubilee Bridge junction has long been a bugbear for motorists and shipyard workers. It is understood the traffic lights will take into account shipyard shift times and work is expected to begin at the end of the year or the start of 2017.

BAE will also remove the entrance to the Devonshire Dock Hall from North Road and move the Burnaby Street junction by the roundabout, as well as installing a pedestrian refuge island in Rawlinson Street, close to the junction with Abbey Road, and altering the traffic light timings at the crossroads. 

The traffic lights at Jubilee Bridge are expected to cost £21,500, and all costs will be met by BAE.

While BAE said the work to all three junctions are estimated to take "a few months" other sources have indicated the roadworks could take up to six months.

A spokesperson for BAE Systems Submarines said: “We have worked closely with Barrow Borough Council and Cumbria County Council to conduct traffic modelling around our site and, as a result, significant improvements have been proposed for three junctions. Timings on existing traffic light controls may also be upgraded on a further three junctions.

“The road improvement designs have been submitted to the council and approved. We will now look to begin works towards the end of this year/early next.

"To reduce potential impact on the public, the projects will not take place simultaneously, however it is anticipated that the road works on the three junctions could take a few months to complete.

"We recognise this will mean short-term disruption for the local community, however local residents should notice significant improvements in the long term.”