New Year Closure For Manchester City Centre Road
Bus passengers who use Piccadilly Gardens are being reminded their usual stop might be on the move next week when nearby roadworks temporarily prevent access for buses.
Resurfacing works mean that Portland Street will be closed between New York Street and Aytoun Street for up to four weeks from 00:01 on Monday 4th January 2016.
Due to the location of the road closure it is necessary to close Piccadilly Gardens for the duration of the works.
This will bring changes to the following bus services:
- 12, **15, 18, 25, 26, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 41, 42, 42A, 43, 44, 63, 84, 85, 86, 99, 101, 104, 105, 109, 111, 113, 130, 131, 142, 143, 219, 220, 221, 250, 255, 256, 263, 291, X34, X35, X41, X50, X57, X58, Metroshuttle 1. - NIGHT SERVICES:- 8, 39, 42, 43, 86, 142, 143, 219.**
More detailed information on temporary bus stops is available on the TfGM website.
Metrolink services will not be affected and on-site staff and information signs will advise bus passengers whose service normally stops at Piccadilly Gardens which alternative stop they should use.
After four weeks, the bus station stops will reopen. Work on the remaining section of Portland Street will take around five more weeks. The top section of Portland Street will be closed to through traffic during this period.
Once Portland Street reopens, it will be for buses, black cabs, emergency vehicles, deliveries and cyclists only between Minshull Street and Aytoun Street – improving bus journey times and reliability – with general traffic permanently re-routed.
The Portland Street works form part of the transformational Grow project, which is seeing more than £1 billion invested in city centre infrastructure improvements by 2017, including the Metrolink Second City Crossing, bus priority measures, six new and better cycling routes into the city centre and major rail improvements.
Together the investments will help ‘future proof’ the city centre – which is expected to attract an extra 40,000 jobs in the next six years – and support its continuing success and economic growth. The completion of works on Portland Street will mark a significant step towards the final stages of the Grow programme.
Several important milestones have already been achieved in the transformation of the city centre transport network. Victoria Station is now fully open following its rejuvenation, and the new Metrolink stop in Exchange Square opened earlier this month.