Major work to improve some of Manchester city centre’s main thoroughfares is set to begin next month.
After Manchester City Council shared its initial plans back in 2023 for how improvements could be made to Deansgate and Whitworth Street West, both in the heart of the city centre, as part of the ‘City Centre Active Travel Fund’, it’s now been announced that these “improvement works” are set to begin in just a couple of weeks time.
Aptly-named the Deansgate and Whitworth Street West Active Travel Scheme, the Council set out a “range of priorities” on what it wanted this scheme to achieve in the long-term.
These priorities included encouraging more people to walk and cycle, improving infrastructure to create linked-up routes throughout the city, generally improving safety, and reducing the overall amount of traffic going into the city centre.
With all of this in mind, changes are to be brought in over the coming months across three junctions along Deansgate.
ADVERTISEMENT
‘Improvement works’ are to begin on major Manchester city centre roads this summer / Credit: Billy Wilson (via Flickr)
Segregated cycleways, a new bus gate, improved controlled pedestrian crossings and additional zebra crossings, junctions that provide more safety for cyclists, and the creation of a rain garden, are the changes set to get underway from the start of next month until spring of next year.
As of Monday 5 August, the improvement works are to begin on parts of Deansgate, Quay Street, Peter Street, Whitworth Street West, Chester Road, and Great Jackson Street.
ADVERTISEMENT
Disruption is expected until spring 2025, the Council has warned.
There will be nighttime road closures in place to facilitate resurfacing between the junctions of Quay Street and Liverpool Road from the evening of Tuesday 6 August 6 until the morning of Friday 9 August 9, with closure hours being between 9pm and 4am, and a number of other temporary traffic restrictions will also be in place over the course of the scheme.
From 5 August, work will start on the Deansgate and Whitworth St West Active Travel scheme.
Work will take place between Quay St/Peter St and Bridgewater Viaduct, including Whitworth St west.
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 8, 2024
A permanent one-way system is to also be put in place for southbound traffic between Quay Street and Liverpool Road from 5 August.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Work of this scale will naturally cause some disruption and potential delays for motorists,” the Council said in a statement, before adding that it is “grateful” for the “understanding and future patience” of all residents, businesses, and motorists in Manchester during the course of these works.
The scheme will be “routinely monitored” during its progress to allow the Council to “adapt” and “make interventions” based on the level of disruption, as well as help manage the network as effectively as possible.
Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free bus travel to and from school
Emily Sergeant
Children who are currently living in temporary housing in Greater Manchester are set to get extra support with school travel.
In a move that was announced by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) at the end of last week, and following years of campaigning, homeless children living in temporary accommodation are now set to get free school travel on all Bee Network buses.
TfGM says it understands that some children end up a long way from their school when placed into temporary accommodation, and this leaves parents or carers with the difficult choice of either having to move them to a closer school, which ultimately disrupts their education, or having to pay unexpected travel costs.
While the Greater Manchester Strategy – which is the plan for the city region’s next decade – commits to reducing the number of families and children in temporary accommodation, and measures are also being taken to make sure residents have the support they need to ‘access, improve, and retain’ a decent, affordable home, this doesn’t tackle the immediate issue.
Homeless children in Greater Manchester will now get free school bus travel / Credit: TfGM
So, to help those families when they ‘need it most’, free bus travel to and from school is set to be provided, as subject to approval of this year’s Combined Authority budget.
The move comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham asked TfGM last year to look at options to help with the cost of travel.
“Using our locally-controlled Bee Network buses to support families when they need it most is the right thing to do,” Andy Burnham commented.
Of course, the long-term solution is no kids in TA and we’re working with our councils to achieve this in the next few years.
We can do it because GM will soon hit the point where we are building more council and social homes every year than we’re losing through right-to-buy. 👍🏻
“A move into temporary accommodation is often a massive upheaval for families and can be a worrying time. With this measure, the cost of travel to school will be one less thing for families to worry about.
“It will mean parents and carers don’t have to choose between an extra demand on their household budget and keeping their children with friends and teachers they know and trust.”
Emily Sergeant -
10th July 2024 
