CHANGES to a roundabout which creates a traffic bottleneck at rush hour are being planned by highways chiefs - ahead of further work which could also see a section of road converted to dual carriageway.

The Westwood roundabout - better known as the McDonalds roundabout on the A61 at Tankersley - is expected to get attention from the Highways Agency in an attempt to reduce congestion ahead of a further scheme to improve the Woodhead route across the Pennines.

They want to act ahead of the full scheme, which is not expected to be finalised until 2020, with work starting after that point.

Details of what proposals are in place for the roundabout have not been released, or any timescale given.

However, the Highways Agency is also to look further at plans which could see the whole of the A61 between M1 junction 36 and Westwood roundabout converted to dual carriageway.

Consultation has already been carried out about the plan, which currently has two options.

One would be to stop all right turns, meaning traffic emerging from Tankersley or Wentworth Park industrial estate would have to turn towards the motorway, regardless of where the driver was heading.

It would also prevent traffic turning into Tankersley at the current junction and mean vehicles heading into the industrial estate would have to continue to the roundabout and use that entrance.

A second option would allow traffic on the A61 to turn into both of those junctions, but still keep traffic emerging onto the main road turning left.

Half of those surveyed by the Highways Agency had no preference, with 36 preferring the first option.

The information is being used as part of the work by highways officers to draw up a design for the changes they will recommend.

One of the main elements of the scheme would be a new bypass at Mottram, which is badly affected by congestion.

The government is still moving forward with plans for a new road tunnel under the Pennines, though it would be many years before that was completed, if the project continues to progress.

Psychologists have already raised concerns about the mental impact on drivers who would be travelling underground for such a long distance.