A scheme to make part of Manchester city centre’s busy Inner Relief Route (MSIRR) safer to cross, widen its pavements and plant more than 70 new street trees has now been completed.
The Great Ancoats Street scheme involved the installation of 21 new crossing points for pedestrians and people on bikes, improving safety for people moving between the city centre and neighbourhoods immediately to its north. A further 15 existing controlled crossings have also been revamped.
In a typical pre-pandemic weekday, Great
63 new trees have been planted along the route, split among three species - Tulip Tree, Green Pillar and Regal Prince – with an additional eight Japanese white-flowering “Mount Fuji” Cherry trees also due to be planted at the junction of Great Ancoats Street with Helmet Street. These trees have been selected as an excellent fit for the street environment, with the right characteristics to thrive in an urban environment as they grow to maturity.
Wider, decluttered footways have been provided to benefit pedestrians and the road itself has received a new modern surface material, which will reduce the noise from passing vehicles by around 40 per cent.
The works extended from the junctions of Marshall Street and Cornell Street on Oldham Road, 150 metres north east of Great Ancoats Street, before joining the MSIRR and extending south-eastwards, to the eastbound Metrolink line close to Pollard Street.
The project has been completed as part of a wider package of measures to improve infrastructure across the city centre. A second round of public consultation on the proposed Northern & Eastern Gateway walking and cycling route, which will run parallel to Great Ancoats Street, is currently being undertaken, while work on the Northern Quarter walking and cycling scheme, which will provide a continuous link for people travelling on foot or by bike between Victoria and Piccadilly stations, is already underway.
Executive Member for the Environment, Planning and Transport, Councillor Angeliki Stogia, said: "Ancoats and New Islington have seen significant residential and commercial development in recent years, with more anticipated in future, so we need to plan for more people travelling into and out of the city centre for work and for leisure - particularly on foot.
"This scheme tackles the perceived barrier that Great Ancoats Street has created between those neighbourhoods and the city centre, providing more than 20 new crossing points. It will support the continuing success and growth of the area as a place to live, work and visit and significantly improve safety for people travelling across what is an extremely busy road, on foot or by bike.
"The rare and attractive tree species we've planted along the route will grow to maturity in the years to come. They will absorb carbon, helping to make a cleaner environment, while their colours will change across the seasons. We intend them to be a long-term feature for the city centre, which will be enjoyed by Mancunians over many decades.
"There's much more work to do to improve the city centre for all road users and this year, we will continue to move forward with our ambitious programme of investment in roads, footways and new cycling and walking routes."
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