Guided busway work on Tyldesley road to be halted for festive period

The current roadworks, which have seen the Tyldesley street reduced to just a single lane since early December to facilitate work on the guided busway, are set to be removed from Monday.

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) made the announcement following confirmation that the work currently under way on Astley Street can be paused over the Christmas break without delaying the scheduled completion date.

Leader of Wigan Council, Lord Peter Smith, said: “It’s great news Astley Street will be reopened over the festive period. It’s the perfect Christmas present for the people and businesses of Tyldesley, who’ve so far coped admirably with the disruption caused by the traffic restrictions in the town.

“During 2015, the busway services will start running and there will be major financial investment in Tyldesley town centre as part of the bus priority scheme. So the town can look forward to a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.”

The single lane closure will be reinstated on January 5 and the work will still be due for completion in June 2015 as scheduled, including the three-week full road closure for essential United Utilities water main works.

Peter Boulton, head of programme management services for TfGM, said: “We’re working to minimise disruption for people in and around Tyldesley where possible and as a result, we’ve been able to confirm that Astley Street can be reopened to traffic in both directions over the festive period.

“This will help people reach shops and businesses in Tyldesley town centre in the run up to Christmas.”

This news comes as the bus priority works in Leigh and Atherton town centres will be largely completed before the end of the year.

More information about the busway – and the wider bus priority package – can be found at tfgm.com/buspriority, by calling 0300 123 1177 (calls charged at local rate, lines open Monday – Friday, 9-5pm) or by emailing buspriority@tfgm.com.