Oxford Road disruption warning

MOTORISTS are being urged to steer clear of roadworks on Manchester’s Oxford Road from tomorrow (Saturday 26 November) when resurfacing starts and closes part of the road.

The message has been sent out to try to help minimise the potential disruption by keeping to the diversions put in place for them or by considering other transport options if they can.

The work – part of a mult-imillion pound package of road and environmental improvements being implemented by Transport for Greater Manchester – requires the whole of Oxford Road  be closed between Brunswick Street and Booth Street East and West so engineers can work safely and complete the work as quickly as possible.

But it means buses and cars will need to change routes across town, putting additional pressure on roads in the area.

Buses will be temporarily diverted around the work site, including along Hathersage Road.

Motorists who cannot avoid the area will be routed along Dickenson Road during the works.

The changes to Oxford Road are part of the biggest investment into Greater Manchester’s bus network in decades, the bus priority package.

The scheme has already seen the introduction of the North West’s first guided busway, bus priority measures along the East Lancs Road and significant changes to Portland Street and Princess Street.

The investment will deliver faster bus journeys and ensure services are more punctual and reliable, while improvements to cycling facilities will make it easier and safer for more people to ride along this popular route, especially as it connects with other cycling improvements on Wilmslow Road.

Peter Boulton, head of programme Management at TfGM, said: “The scale of the work we are doing to transform Oxford Road – Europe’s busiest bus corridor – means we cannot avoid periods of disruption and I apologise to anyone who is being inconvenienced while we complete it.

“We are working to minimise the impact of this latest phase, in partnership  with the city council and our highways management colleagues, and I would urge drivers to now play their part where they can.

“We have kept the work site as small as possible and planned it so the important east-west crossing point stays open during the week.”

He added: “The closure will also mean some temporary changes to bus services along the corridor, which we have worked with operators to minimise, and I would ask passengers to plan ahead for their journeys.”

The following bus services are affected:
Weekend services: 15 18 38 41 42 43 44 45 53 85 86 111 142 143 197 250 263 X57
Weekday services: 15 18 38 41 42 43 53 111 141 142 143 147 191 197 X57

The resurfacing work is being carried out on Oxford Road and at the junction of Booth Street East and Booth Street West, starting on Saturday November 26 and due to complete on Sunday December 4.

Throughout the period, Oxford Road will be closed to all traffic, including cyclists, between Brunswick Street and the junction of Booth Street East/West.

During the two weekends of the work period, Booth Street East and Booth Street West will also be closed at the junction with Oxford Road. However, Monday to Friday, Booth Street East and Booth Street West will remain open for traffic crossing Oxford Road.

The final scheme will see the current Oxford Road ‘bus gate’ extend further up the corridor. This mile-long section will guarantee better bus services along one of Europe’s busiest bus routes while ensuring safer cycle and pedestrian facilities for hundreds of thousands each year.

‘Bus gates’ are new for Greater Manchester – there has been one on Portland Street since March – and are used to restrict general traffic access beyond a single point in the road so buses can operate more efficiently and punctually beyond them.

Oxford Road is the final piece of the bus priority scheme jigsaw and will mark the culmination of over four years of work when it’s completed in early 2017.
Completion will also herald a major milestone in the progress of the transformational Grow project.
 
Grow will see more than £1bn invested into city centre infrastructure improvements by 2017, including the Metrolink Second City Crossing, bus priority measures, six new and better cycle routes into the city centre and major rail improvements.