Active travel improvements are set to begin along Deansgate later this summer.
Deansgate and Whitworth Street West Active Travel Scheme
In 2023 the Council shared initial plans for how improvements could be made to Deansgate as well as Whitworth Street West as part of the City Centre Active Travel Fund.
A range of priorities were set out on what the Council wanted this scheme to achieve, which included encourage more people to walk, wheel or cycle, improve infrastructure to create linked-up routes throughout the city, improve safety, and reduce the overall amount of traffic going into the city centre.
With this in mind, a range of new changes will be brought in over the coming months across three junctions along Deansgate.
These will include:
- Segregated cycleways
- A new bus gate on Whitworth Street West
- Improved controlled pedestrian crossings
- Better junctions to allow cyclists safe transit
- A rain garden
- Additional pedestrian zebra crossings
For a full list of the changes being made please visit our website created for this scheme at manchester.gov.uk/deansgate
The Council can now confirm that works will start in Deansgate and Whitworth Street West from Monday, August 5. Work is anticipated to run into the spring of 2025.
From August 5, work will start on three junctions:
- Deansgate/Quay Street/Peter St
- Deansgate/Whitworth St West
- Chester Rd/Great Jackson St
There will be nighttime road closures in place to facilitate resurfacing between the junctions of Quay Street and Liverpool Road, starting from the evening of Tuesday August 6, until the morning of Friday August 9. The hours of closure will be between 9pm and 4am.
As well as temporary traffic restrictions being in place over the course of this scheme, a permanent change will be made from the beginning of works, with a permanent one-way system being put in place for southbound traffic between Quay Street and Liverpool Road.
Work of this scale will naturally cause some disruption ad potential delays for motorists, and the Council is grateful for the understanding and future patience of residents, businesses and motorists during the course of these works.
The scheme will be routinely monitored during its progress, allowing the Council to adapt and make interventions based on the level of disruption, and help manage the network as effectively as possible.
For any other information or queries please visit manchester.gov.uk/deansgate.
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Environment and Transport said: “For several years we have made great strides in improving the transport links in our city centre. Walking, wheeling and cycling have become key pillars in our overall transport strategy through schemes like this one in Deansgate, we aim to embed that ethos even more across our city centre.
“In other places throughout Manchester we’ve already seen the benefits of improving infrastructure in this way and I am confident we will see that replicated on Deansgate in the coming months.
“For anyone needing more information on this project please visit our website.”