Oldham to benefit from walkway upgrades

A host of high-profile cycling and walking schemes and upgrades – set to transform how people travel in every area of Greater Manchester – will be considered by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) next week.

The first 15 projects that will form part of Greater Manchester’s cycling and walking network have been put forward for funding.

If approved, it would see around £25 million provided from the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund and a further £4 million funded by Greater Manchester’s district councils and the Department for Transport’s Cycle City Ambition Grant.

All 10 Greater Manchester local authorities stand to benefit from at least one scheme with work beginning by the end of the year.

The proposed projects will deliver 60 new and upgraded crossings and junctions, as well as 15 miles of new cycling and walking routes.

This includes six miles of Dutch-style cycle lanes that are separated from motor traffic.

Greater Manchester’s Cycling and Walking Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “We asked Greater Manchester’s 10 local authorities to hit the ground running and they’ve been able to turn these first proposed projects around very quickly.

"This is a real achievement in itself and will help us to keep up momentum on transforming the city-region into a better place to be.

“The list of proposed projects announced today is the first of many for each local authority and we hope to publish the next list in the coming weeks.

"One thing we won’t compromise on is quality; we’re working closely with all 10 local authorities to ensure that every single project on this list meets a tough set of design standards.

"Only by doing this will we enable thousands more people to consider making more trips on foot or by bike.” 

Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said: “The network will connect every community in Greater Manchester, opening up our neighbourhoods and making it far easier to travel on foot or by bike to school, to the shops, to work.

“It is hugely exciting to see the first of many schemes coming through and the impact will be truly transformational.”

Included in the 15 proposed projects are:

King Street bridge refurbishment, Oldham: Complete refurbishment of an existing pedestrian and cycle bridge, providing a key link into Oldham town centre from a number of residential areas to the south.

The project is expected to cost in the region of £650,000.

Union Street West bridge refurbishment, Oldham: The bridge has already been the subject of a partial refurbishment.

This project will see the refurbishment completed, providing a replacement bridge deck surface to ensure the best possible level of service for users.

The project is expected to cost in the region of £200,000.

Since launching the first draft of the cycling and walking network map online last month, the mappingGM website has received over 2,000 comments from people across Greater Manchester. A series of public drop-in sessions will be hosted in each local authority over the coming weeks.

The first draft of the network will remain open for comments on the www.mappingGM.org.uk/Beelines  platform until the end of September. Comments will then be used to inform the second draft of the map which will be published later this year.  

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