A main route through Manchester city centre has partially reopened to traffic, marking a major step forward for Metrolink’s Second City Crossing.
Work to lay new tram tracks along Cross Street, between King Street and the junction with Princess Street and John Dalton Street, is now finished.
But the disruption is not over yet. In two weeks’ time, on April 4, Princess Street will close from Clarence Street to Cooper Street - outside the Tesco Express, Rozafa Greek restaurant and Waterhouse pub.
The day before, on April 3, Peter Street and Oxford Street will reopen to two-way traffic between Manchester Central Library and Portland Street.
Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Metrolink director, said: “The start of work along Princess Street will be a major step forward for the Second City Crossing, moving us into the final construction phase as we progress towards joining tram track already laid in St Peter’s Square and Cross Street.
“I’d like to thank businesses, residents, workers and commuters for their continued patience. Ultimately, they will be the ones who reap the benefits of our investment, as the new Second City Crossing will provide the capacity to move millions more people around our growing city region to shop, work, dine out and enjoy everything Greater Manchester has to offer.”
The major £165m project forms part of the wider £1bn Grow project to help ‘future-proof’ the city centre – which is expected to attract an extra 40,000 jobs in the next six years.
Watch: Metrolink second city crossing video
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “There’s a real sense that this major project is entering the final phase as Cross Street reopens and the final stretch of works on Princess Street get underway. The completion of the line will also mark the end of the transformation of St Peter’s Square – bringing a significant new city centre public space into use.”
In December last year, the first section of the Second City Crossing opened between Victoria Station and a new stop at Exchange Square – thanks to a grant from the North West England European Regional Development Fund Programme.
The route will continue along Cross Street and Princess Street where trams will run into a new and expanded tram stop currently being built at St Peter’s Square, due to open to services later this year.
