Work begins on new £48 million Bolton Interchange
From The Bolton News
An artist's impression of how the new Bolton Interchange will look
Building work to make way for Bolton’s new £48 million transport interchange has begun.
Properties in Newport Street, Great Moor Street and
Johnson Street will be prepared for demolition so a new bus station can
be built in their place.
During the destruction period which is
expected to finish in early 2014, temporary fencing will be erected
along the roads, and the footpath linking Johnson Street and Newport
Street will be closed.
The new interchange has been developed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and Bolton Council, and will include a new bus station opposite the current train station in Trinity Street.
Former Mayor of Bolton Cllr Guy Harkin, who is deputy chairman of
TfGM, said he was delighted to see work finally start on the site.
He said: "The development is well overdue. It will tick a lot of
different boxes – it’s not just two plus two equals four, it’s two plus
two equals six.
"It’ll deal with the real problems we currently have with the number
of people trying to get the train to Manchester, and as we’re developing
office space on the area we’re expecting a lot of people to start
coming to Bolton for work.
"That part of the town desperately needs regeneration – it’s been a
problem area for many years as it’s never had the same expenditure as
other parts of Bolton.
"The businesses nearby will have a lot more footfall too."
The car parks to the rear of the site will remain open throughout the demolition period.
Leader of Bolton council Cllr Cliff Morris said the work was a welcome
part of the authority’s town centre transport strategy, supported by
the Greater Manchester Transport Fund.
He said: "We’re at the next crucial stage of the programme and the demolition will open up the site for construction to start.