Further changes are set to come to the roads around Deansgate, after the council says it listened to ‘worries about congestion’.
Changes have been made to planned roadworks around the city centre thoroughfare, with roadworks currently ongoing on Deansgate to install a bike lane and make it one-way southbound for cars from Quay Street to Liverpool Road. Some blamed traffic jams seen in the lead-up to Christmas on the roadworks, prompting Andy Burnham to confirm he would lead an ‘honest review’ into the project this month.
Now, a separate scheme for John Dalton Street, Bridge Street, and roads around it, has been altered following public feedback received last spring. The council said ‘worries about potential traffic flow and congestion’ lead to a ‘revised design’.
Among the changes it’s made are building longer lay-by bus stops so traffic can move past a bus when it comes to a halt, building two new taxi ranks, widening pavements, and installing more pedestrian crossings. On Deansgate itself, the only changes proposed in this project are new pedestrian crossings at the junction with John Dalton Street.
“We want our city to be a great place to be. Somewhere that people want to visit, live and work, with clean air and safe, green, and pleasant streets,” a council public consultation said. “To get this we’ve got to make some big changes so we can have the city centre we deserve.”
Maps show Bow Street will be made one-way towards South King Street, while the one-way route on St James’s Square will be reversed, so cars can only travel towards John Dalton Street. They also show the Bridge Street bus gate, which prevents cars leaving Manchester via Bridge Street to join Salford’s Chapel Street, will remain in place.
The public consultation opened on November 25, and closes on January 5, 2025. You can have your say online here.