Town hall chiefs in Salford are rushing through plans for £200,000 roadworks – to stop their city’s roads being gridlocked by the planned closure of Deansgate.
Manchester council wants to turn the area outside Manchester Cathedral into a pedestrian-only zone.
Instead traffic will snake onto Chapel Street in Salford, and back across Victoria Bridge Street, to join Deansgate at Harvey Nichols.
New pedestrian zone outside Manchester Cathedral will see traffic banned from entrance to Deansgate
The plan means major roadworks on the other side of the Irwell must now be completed early. It is understood that, although the work in Salford had already been planned, rushing it through will cost Salford town hall extra.
Salford council has agreed to spend £205,000 completing the final stage of roadworks on Chapel Street by March 4, when Manchester town hall officials want to block off Deansgate.
New traffic lights at the junction of Victoria Bridge Street and Chapel Street will also need to be introduced early.
Salford planning chief Coun Derek Antrobus said the work was originally planned for later in the year but has been accelerated due to the pedestrian plan.
Commuters using Chapel Street – one of the busiest routes into Manchester – have already suffered a year of disruption as part of major regeneration plans.
But Coun Antrobus said any extra traffic flow would be watched carefully once Deansgate is shut.
He said: "What we don’t want to do is see all the traffic that previously went down Victoria Street coming down Chapel Street.
"The idea of pedestrianising in front of the cathedral is absolutely brilliant. It should improve the pedestrian flow over the bridge into Greengate and revive that part of Salford."
Manchester’s plans will mean a 300-yard stretch of road outside the cathedral completely closed to cars, taxis and buses.
But Salford’s opposition councillors warned the pedestrian zone would cause problems for commuters.
Conservative councillor Iain Lindley said: "The closure of Victoria Street is going to have a significant impact on traffic flow along the east of Chapel Street, and a real effect on local residents in Greengate."
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There are other places to shop, something that seems to have been overlooked!
talking about this for years do the lot and have done with it
It's good to see that two local councils are really good at communicating with each other. Something tells me that Salford isn't going to complete "major" roadworks in 3 weeks, which means there will be months of traffic misery for motorists after 5 March when Victoria St closes.
Great ideas here by Salford and Manchester Councils. We have been looking to move home and it is highly likely now that if we do my partner will now quit her City Centre job rather than spend 2-3 hours a day in traffic.
Luckily we have a great public transport link in the UK that is reliable and cheap!
Amazing! On one hand councils are claiming all sorts of funding crisis and then, faster than Paul Daniels,a pot of money appears to rush through mindless and thoughtless schemes. They're happy for commuters to be affected in their journeys to work, but when Karney comes up with a numpty idea of a scheme, out comes the money!
Am I missing the point or something? Isn't it these daily commuters that drive in to Manchester to work that spend money in local shops/business....hence support local economy. By creating a silly pedestrian zone, they are taking away these spenders.
Just thinks, a couple more years, Karney will not only be proud of the empty parking bays in Manchester Streets but the empty shops too.......
What on earth is the point in pedestrianising in front of the cathedral??? When was the last time you heard anyone say that there was a "pedestrian gridlock" or “I couldn’t get to the office on time because it pedestrian foot flow was too busy in the centre of town”?
How can this make sense on either financially or for quality of living? What next a pedestrian crossing on the M60 or a mini roundabout on the Lowry bridge to ease cycle congestion ?
This sounds like another moronic scheme being implemented by a pen pusher in the council designed to get us a “green accreditation” in an EU survey !
Nonsense!
hahaha! these clowns in the town hall do mach me laugh! they really do.
"i know what! lets pedestrianise one of the busiest routes into the city centre!"
what planet do they live on? each time you cut off a major route you create rat runs down the only existing routes left. causing chaos, accidents and eventually people vote with their wheels and go elsewhere.
how do they expect us to get into the city? on the sardine specials?
sort those out first and then do your pedestrian walkways once the actual decent public transport is in operation.
What right has MCC to do what they like? Since the bomb they have systematically destroyed what Manchester had going for it. My particular disgust is reserved for what they did to Piccadilly Gardens but the appalling decisions are widespread and as far as i know without public consultation. I work out of Manchester but very very rarely spend free time there. Such a shame it's had it's soul ripped out!
What a pointless waste of money, leave well alone !
Are Salford council subordinate to Manchester council? why are they letting them dictate to the extent that is going to cost more money and hence no doubt cost us next year in council tax for a scheme that is rediculous. Is Pat Karney going to compensate Salford for their losses
*slaps head and headbutts desk*
idiots, what a waste of public money!
That's it, I have had enough, and it's not just me where I work who feels like I do, I am sure plenty may follow.
I am sick and tired of struggling to get in and and out of the city centre every day. Everywhere you go there are either roadworks or schemes being put into operation in and around this once great city centre making it harder and harder to drive and park here. Over an hour to get to and from Stockport where I live. Well, no more. Well done Salford and Manchester council's. I've got a job elsewhere now. This smacks of sour grapes after we turned down the Congestion charge a few years back. What on earth are they thinking.I won't even bother to return for the odd shopping trip or night out. Good riddance.
The more the City Centre becomes pedestrianised, the better - just knock the ''Chapel Street one lane'' joke on the head, and people will be able to get into the City in the first place.
Anyone else an hour late for work on Wednesday when a car on the East Lancs lost a wheel and closed a lane off???? The new bus lane plans starting from Tyldesley to the Crescent will make this a daily occurance for years to come. Please dispense with this badly conceived idea.
Anyone else enjoying the glogged up rat run coming off the East Lancs at Salford Precinct every morning?
More good ideas needed please and less bad ones. Still time to change your mind counsellors before you turn our City into a ghost town!!
I think they should close Deansgate to traffic altogether
what an ill informed bunch these councilors are,,, im lucky enough to to avoid the chaos on the way to manchester from salford ,,, but i have a Lott of sympathy for those people stuck in the miles of traffic each morning ,, many who are dependant on there jobs i these bad times,, and many working 10 plus hours plus the increased journey time
WHAT IDIOT THOUGHT THIS DIVERSION UP. SOME BODY WITH A PUSH BIKE MAYBE?????????
I have just come back home from Manchester after doing a bit of shopping. I have to use my car as I am disabled, but one thing is for sure and that is I won't be going back there again. What an absolute disgrace the traffic management is. Heaven knows what it's going to be like when they start on Deansgate. Manchester City Council performing at it's usual level. (gutter level)
Is going to be bedlam. What are the planners in both Manchester Town Hall and in Swinton thinking ?!!!
pedestrians shop ... motorists drive .... ALL of Manchester city center should be pedestrianized .... why should one person in a car have priority over many people walking?
Strange how the councils are pleading poverty over Government cuts but can find millions to spare on pointless schemes to strangle the lifeblood of their cities, the motor vehicle.
It is not only the private motorist who is affected by all this expensive nonsense but the dozens of delivery drivers who keep the cities supplied. Do these councillors think that clothes get into shops, beer into the pubs, food into the restaurants, pills into the chemists and paperclips in the town hall by magic.
The waste of £10 million turning the Crescent and Chapel Street into a 20mph country lane, with all its associated traffic chaos, was the last straw for one of my customers. They have many time critical high-value international shipments, which must catch the plane by the early evening flight deadline but they still have to accept orders from abroad during their customers' business hours, which leaves a very tight window to pick, pack and ship the goods. Thirty minutes delay could mean a missed flight, late delivery of urgent goods and the loss of future orders. The company has had enough, they are moving out of Manchester all together.
When the cities are ghost towns then the councillors will be happy.
This lack of joined up thinking is a consequence of Greater Manchester County being abolished and highways being looked after by the 10 unitary authorities. The Fire Brigade, Public Transport (GMPTE) and Waste disposal are organised on a County wide basis and so should highways planning and maintenance.