Vital road traffic changes to a key city centre route will start this week as part of a major scheme to future-proof the city’s transport infrastructure.
From Sunday 1 November, Princess Street will be permanently opened up to two-way traffic between Major Street and the Mancunian Way to help traffic flow through the city centre.
Temporary signs have been placed in the area in the lead-up to the change and there are traffic restrictions currently in place on Princess Street. This traffic management will be removed on 1 November in a carefully managed operation with Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Police.
The change to Princess Street is being introduced to help traffic route into the city centre from the south in advance of new restrictions soon to be placed on all general traffic using Oxford Road. Under the wider scheme, general traffic will be removed from Oxford Road to give priority to buses, cyclists, pedestrians and hackney carriages.
Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “This change is a key part of our work to make it easier for buses to travel through the city centre and, importantly, enable better access to two of the city’s most popular destinations – the Village and Chinatown.
“This is crucial when you consider that around a quarter of a million journeys are made into and through the city centre every day and the number of people who visit Manchester is growing.
“We’re working to make sure the transport network supports this growth, continuing to make Manchester a sustainable, vibrant and prosperous city.”
Cllr Kate Chappell, Manchester City Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “This will make it far easier for motorists coming into the city centre from south Manchester, but it is a major change to the way people drive in and out, so a lot of work is going on to make sure people are aware of the new route. This is part of a major three year investment which will transform our transport infrastructure and make sure it is fit for a 21st century growing city.”
Road signs, traffic signals and road markings are being used to highlight the changes to pedestrians and drivers, alongside posters and social media updates.
The new measures on Princess Street form a key part of the bus priority package that is being delivered by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Manchester City Council to improve access to and through the city centre for bus passengers and cyclists. More information on the change, including a map can be found here.
TfGM and Manchester City Council have developed the bus priority package to significantly improve the quality, punctuality and reliability of bus services on 25 miles of key routes that run through the city and across Greater Manchester.
The scheme forms part of a co-ordinated three-year programme of works, known collectively as Grow, which will enable Manchester city centre to flourish for years to come.
A 3D video fly-through is available online and takes people on a virtual journey through the city, showing improvements for bus users, cyclists, pedestrians and other road users at www.tfgm.com/buspriority.
Between now and 2017, the city centre will see more than £1bn of investment in transport and regeneration projects – including the Metrolink Second City Crossing and Cycle City cycleways – to lay the foundations for continuing growth.
Further updates can be found at the Project Grow website: www.manchester.gov.uk/grow
More information about the city centre proposals and the wider bus priority package is available at www.tfgm.com/buspriority or by calling 0300 123 1177 (lines open Monday to Friday during business hours).
Photo: Google Maps
