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Doubt leaves traffic scheme in disarray

Stephen Foster
23/ 7/2004

A HUGE hole has been left in council traffic management and highways improvements in the town centre area because of the decision to scrap Metrolink.

Andrew Jackman, network development manager, said: "The question is: Is the Metrolink completely dead or could it come back again?"

"If the scheme is completely dead then we will have to remodel that area in a different way. If it is to come back we don't want to be doing the work spending council tax payers' money."

"We have been holding back on a lot of resurfacing work and restructuring which was part of Metrolink. That is why we have been doing patch jobs."

"Wet Rake Gardens was to be rebuilt as a key feature as a garden project like Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester."

Running alongside Metrolink were to have been quality bus corridors in Oldham Road and Drake Street which were to have been financed with Metrolink.

With the arrival of the trams a new traffic management system was to have been put in place.

Mr Jackman said the decision not to extend Metrolink had 'left a large hole' in what the council was thinking of doing.