By Chris Gee
Copyright manchestereveningnews
Weekday closures of major roads through a town centre for a nine month period are ‘absolutely essential’ to delivering regeneration, Bury ’ council leader has said. Parts of both Fairfax Road and Rectory Lane in the centre of Prestwich will be closed to traffic from Monday, October 13 as steel deliveries and other work carries on at the former street level car park site. A temporary road closure order states Fairfax Road will be closed between Highfield Road and Heys Road/ Poppythorn Lane from 7am on Mondays until 5pm on Fridays. Similarly, a section of Rectory Lane, from its junction with Fairfax Road to a point 25 metres south of Fairfax Road will also be closed to traffic between those times. After 5pm on Fridays the roads will be re-opened over the weekends until closing again on Mondays at 7am. The road closure order will be in effect for a year, although the work is expected to take nine months. The alternative route advised for vehicles will be via Bury New Road, St Mary’s Road and Rectory Lane (St Mary’s Road to Heywood Road), Heywood Road and Heys Road and vice versa. Muse and Bury Council, the joint venture behind the £100m+ regeneration of Prestwich village centre, said the road closures would create ‘temporary disruption’ along Fairfax Road as construction of the village’s new travel hub builds momentum. Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout, with a signed diversion underneath the tramline off Rectory Lane. A formal vehicle diversion will also be in place and clearly signposted. Visitors to the Longfield Centre will still be able to access the Longfield Centre car park from Rectory Lane off St Mary’s Road, which will remain open. The council said the closure is a ‘vital health and safety measure to keep everyone safe when large vehicles delivering heavy steel and other materials come to site’. Coun Eamonn O’Brien, leader of Bury Council, said: “We’re another step closer to delivering on our promise to the people of Prestwich and creating a new beating heart for the village. “We recognise that the weekday closure to Fairfax Road will cause inconvenience, but it’s absolutely essential to enable us to deliver the travel hub safely, quickly and cost-effectively. “While the road is advertised to close for nine months, we’re really hopeful that the work can be completed much quicker than this and we’ll be doing everything we can to complete it as soon as possible. We will keep you regularly updated as the work progresses. “Our priority is to complete the travel hub so we can start delivering the wider regeneration plans, which will benefit the local community for generations to come. “I’d like to thank the community for their ongoing patience as we work towards making this transformational project a reality.” Hugh Taylor, senior project manager at Muse, said: “We’re entering into a critical phase of the travel hub construction with regular large deliveries being made to site. “Undertaking major construction work in a built-up area was always going to be challenging and we considered a number of alternatives, but ultimately this solution is not only the safest but also provides best value for the project and community. “In line with our commitment to minimise disruption, we have developed a practical gated solution that allows the road to be fully open at the weekend.” The three-storey travel hub will provide over 300 parking spaces.
