£8m phase lets trams take to the streets
Reporter: Alan Salter
Date published: 25 May 2010
Another £8m is to be spent on preparing the way for Metrolink trams in Oldham and Rochdale town centres.
As work progresses on converting the Oldham loop line to Metrolink for next autumn, officials are also getting ready for the next phase which will see trams in King Street and Union Street by 2014.
Included in the total is about £2m for design, surveys, and procuring land in Oldham this year — and another £1million in Rochdale.
The work includes demolishing and remodelling Oldham Mumps and Werneth. Transport experts say there are 50 diversions of water, electricity, and gas pipes and cables to be moved by the Utility companies in Oldham town centre and about 30 diversions in Rochdale town centre.
The diversion of pipes and cables poses the biggest risk of delay to the building of the town centre line as the work has to be arranged around the work of the utility companies. It is expected to cost around £1.7m.
And another £3m needs to be spent before November arranging land access and acquisition, staff costs, engineering support, traffic modelling, and planning applications.
The cost of converting the Oldham loop tops £200m and another £84m will be spent on the town centre loop.
The scheme is being paid for by the Greater Manchester Transport Fund which borrows against future transport levies on all 10 district councils.
Making tracks
IT’S the end of the line for trains on the infamous Werneth incline, which used to test the mettle of steam engines.
The tracks are being removed to make way for Oldham’s Metrolink extension (pictures).
