Work starts on £6.5m Carlisle Southern Gateway

Today, Story Contracting is setting about removing a series of bus shelters along English Street, part of a larger project that will ultimately improve the public realm and pedestrian connections around the railway station and Citadels in the Cumbria city.

Cumberland Council’s Carlisle Southern Gateway initiative will see the creation of a permanent Denton Holme bus stop on Victoria Viaduct, the addition of segregated cycle lanes, the installation of street furniture, and the planting of more green infrastructure.

The project also includes reducing the carriageway width, adding public rest areas, expanding the pavement, and introducing pedestrian-friendly crossing points.

Carlisle Southern Gateway’s costs are valued at £6.5m, according to an April council capital programme update.

Part of Cumberland Council’s £19.7m Town Deal from national government, the entirety of the Carlisle Southern Gateway scheme is set to complete by spring next year. However certain parts, such as the permanent Denton Holme bus stop, will finish earlier – the bus stop is set to be operational by mid-August.

Making the area more pedestrian-friendly is one of the goals of the Carlisle Southern Gateway project. Credit: via Cumberland Council

Carlisle Southern Gateway is part of Cumberland Council’s broader plans for revitalising the city. Other initiatives include £2m improvements to the public realm along Devonshire Street, a project that will conclude this summer.

The £4m reimaging of Market Square and Greenmarket, which will see the creation of a multi-functional events space, is set to finish next spring. Eric Wright Construction received the contract for the project in May.

Carlisle Station is also set for a £27m refresh that will see the pedestrianisation of Court Square and improvements to accessibility. Network Rail and the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal is helping fund this project. It is set to complete in 2027.

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