The final rails have now been laid for the new Metrolink line through the heart of Manchester, with the main construction works due to be complete by Christmas. Despite Manchester’s Victorian infrastructure presenting unforeseen challenges – including a collapsed Victorian sewer, and double the amount of anticipated exhumations after discovering
Manchester’s Northern Quarter will see work begin on new commercial office space of around 6,000 sq ft as part of the wider £30m Port Street mixed-use development. Work will begin next month on the commercial office space with developer Mulbury and architect Tim Groom getting the green light in November
The final rails have now been laid for the new Metrolink line through the heart of Manchester, with the main construction works due to be complete by Christmas. Despite Manchester’s Victorian infrastructure presenting unforeseen challenges – including a collapsed Victorian sewer, and double the amount of anticipated exhumations after discovering a former church graveyard on Cross Street – the £165 million Second City Crossing is due to open early next year. Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) opened phase one of the route, from Victoria Station through to a new stop at Exchange Square, last December. All major civil engineering works for the second phase – including installing overhead lines to power the trams along the route – are expected to be completed by the end of the year. Because of the potential delays, TfGM was expecting the scheme to be complete in summer next year; however contractor M-Pact Thales (MPT) worked with utility firms and TfGM to make sure that the line is on track to be finished earlier in the year. Councillor Andrew Fender, chair of the TfGM committee, said: “It’s great to see these final sections of rail laid, one of the final jigsaw pieces in the puzzle. With some infrastructure still dating back to the Victorians, building through a busy city has not been an easy task. The scale of the venture has been impressive and, while there has been inevitable disruption, we’re close to the finish line and to customers, residents and businesses reaping the benefits. “Since the Second City Crossing programme began we’ve seen a huge increase in Metrolink use across the network, from 27 to 35 million passenger journeys a year. The need for a new line through the city has never been more pressing.” He added that TfGM has also opened a new tram stop in Exchange Square to make room for more customers.
Manchester’s Northern Quarter will see work begin on new commercial office space of around 6,000 sq ft as part of the wider £30m Port Street mixed-use development. Work will begin next month on the commercial office space with developer Mulbury and architect Tim Groom getting the green light in November last year. High-quality apartments will form the cornerstone of the development, and will see Mulbury enter the private rented sector for the first time. 134 new homes will be built ranging in size from 400 sq ft studio apartments to 900 sq ft multi-bedroom apartments. Mulbury’s work begins as it reveals plans to build a further 1,200 private rented sector properties in Manchester, tapping into a blossoming market that is currently worth around £250m in value with £150m worth of construction contracts. Significantly, the new scheme will emerge close to completed redevelopment in the New Islington area, further highlighting the ambitions of Manchester City Council’s proactive investment. The development marks a “significant contribution” to the area’s regeneration says Mulbury director Martin Bury. He called the project a “flagship scheme” for the private rented sector in the city and noted his excitement about getting involved. Architect Tim Groom was also thrilled about working on the project. He said the design of the scheme was very much about bringing together what had become a disjointed place that was rundown in places. Both Mulbury and architect Tim Groom entered into extensive consultation with the council, Heritage England, and other bodies while holding a public consultation on the plans for the Northern Quarter. The development gets underway next month with an expected completion date of summer 2017.
