The A5281 is an A-road that appears on OS Mapping from 2017 for the main link between the M62 (J8) and the western suburbs of Warrington.
It is almost entirely 40mph-limited and consists of a traffic light junction and five roundabouts between the ends of the route.
Route
Starting at the Burtonwood Roundabout, Southbound as Burtonwood Road - a mostly three-lane single-carriageway, a traffic light junction is encountered which serves the residential area Kingswood via Kingswood Road. Next, a large five-way roundabout is encountered, (the fourth exit of which is blocked off but set to serve a new area under construction,) serving Westbrook via Westbrook Way (first exit - "Warrington (A574)") and a minor stretch of Burtonwood Road with some residential areas (second exit). At the third exit the A5281 TOTSOs as Whittle Avenue ("Liverpool (A57), Widnes (A562)"), at first curving until the road is straight again, this time more Westerly. From this large roundabout onwards, the speed limit was previously (National speed limit|NSL).
Thatched Cottage Roundabout
Next, an underpowered 5-way roundabout is encountered, notable for being adjacent to a white thatch-roofed cottage. What would appear to be a left turning lane emerges to the left, only to also be the forward (second exit) lane. The driver has to bear left to go straight, or will end up in lane for Lingley Green Ave (third exit) heading West towards the A5280. The first exit is a 1999 housing estate, the second exit continues the A-road and Whittle Ave ("Town Centre (A57), Widnes (A562)"), the third heads towards Lingley Green, Northern Whittle Hall and Omega (A5280 - "Liverpool (A57)").
Continuing straight, a four-way roundabout is reached serving Chapelford via Boston Boulevard (first exit) and Whittle Hall via Kingsdale Road (third exit). Then, a larger, three-way roundabout serving Chapelford again via Moran Drive (first exit) - this one intended more for customers, primarily of the Sainsbury's supermarket and Chapelford Farm pub. The speed limit drops to 30mph after crossing the Manchester and Allerton Junction railway line, before finally reaching the last (three-way) roundabout which serves Hood Manor via Tankersley Grove (first exit). The road markings here suggest there was meant to be a right turn, but there is a brook, park, and thick greenery in the way of anything that could be accessed.
The route ends on a traffic light junction on Sankey Way (A57). The main lane is a right-turn, despite most traffic using the very short turning lane to go left towards the Sankey Roundabout and A562. The right turn spends more of the cycle on red, resulting in congestion and frustration, due to the inability to reach the green left-turn because stopped right-turn traffic is blocking access to the turning lane.
