New Year start for second Metrolink city line
Construction of the second city crossing in Manchester's expanding tram network will begin on Monday 6 January.
Metrolink says the new city centre line will provide greater capacity and resilience across the network.
The three-year construction programme will begin in Corporation Street, between Withy Grove and Market Street, where gas pipes, electricity and phone cables will be diverted away from the new tramway.
This will see trenches dug so new ducting can be laid for pipes and cables. Localised road closures and diversions will be put in place but access to businesses in the area will be maintained at all times. The programme is expected to be completed in early 2017, including redeveloped Deansgate-Castlefield and Manchester Victoria stops.
Once completed, the line will begin in Lower Mosley Street and run through St Peter's Square, before turning down Princess Street and then heading along Cross Street and Corporation Street before re-joining the existing Metrolink line outside Victoria station.
As part of the project, new stops will be built in Exchange Square and St Peter's Square.
Cllr Andrew Fender, chairman of the TfGM Committee, said: "This will be the starter pistol for a marathon civil engineering project that is an essential part of the Metrolink expansion.
"The Second City Crossing (2CC) will increase the capacity, flexibility and reliability of all of the network's new lines and enable them to operate to their fullest.
"As such, it will play a vital role in helping to build a strong and prosperous economy for Greater Manchester."
Powers to install the second Metrolink route were formally approved by the government in November following a public inquiry held earlier this year and a major public consultation in 2011.
Peter Cushing, TfGM's Metrolink director, said: "It's a significant piece of work and not without its challenges, but we have learnt a huge amount successfully delivering new street-running lines to Ashton, Oldham and Rochdale town centres and to Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport and we will be drawing on this experience to keep disruption to an absolute minimum.
"We have also established strong links with businesses in the city and I'd encourage anyone who hasn't already done so to get in touch so we can keep them up to speed over the life of this project and beyond."
Not bad, only 20 years behind Sheffield.
By Poit
Are electric busses not about to relegate trams to the history books?
By Reece
Yeah, because Sheffield had its SECOND city crossing already?
By No Point
Poit, trams have been running in Manchester since 1993! This is the SECOND line to cross Manchester City Centre. Nice try
By jeff
As poorer countries (Africa parts of Asia) cannot yet afford high-speed electric suburban trains that run across and underneath city centers interconnecting with an urban underground train network I suppose a street-running tram network is not a bad cheaper alternative to the standard continental European solution.
By Anonymous
The usual puffed-up bluster from the usual clowns…getting all wet over Manchester catching up with the rest of the country…happy new year…
By Poit
How is Manchester "catching up with the rest of the country"?! Outside of London, where else do you have such an extensive and well-used network? Metrolink has its problems, but you can’t say Manchester is behind most of the country
By mancboi
It’s the way that Manchester makes a big song an’ dance about what others just get on with. It’s all about me! me! me! Just get on with it, get it built and stop jizzing over a new half-assed tram loop in the city centre. For God’s sake, anyone with any vision would have had trams back on the streets of this city in the late 70s as the post-industrial age was starting to bite, not 40 years later. Why give yourselves a pat on the back for that you bunch of cross-eyed clowns…
By Poit 2
You’re talking like its the same people in charge now as it was in the 1970s. Different people. People who’ve taken it from a decrepit post-industrial age and spent the last 20-30 years trying to make a worthwhile modern city. Who else "just gets on" with it?! Central government doesn’t exactly make it easy to invest in infrastructure outside of London. Its not like "they" have had a pot of money sat there for 40 years wondering what to spend it on – getting trams in *has* taken vision and determination on Greater Manchester’s part. The region has done a top job in getting this far this fast: you have to remember what modern Manchester started from. Trolling aside, of course.
By mancboi
Competent response.
By Poit
i think Poit2 comments are bordering on offensive. Should words such as "jizzing" be allowed in a serious and respectable professional publication? This isn’t the Daily Star
By Anonymous