Sections of major roads through a town centre are to close between Monday and Friday for nine months as a transport hub is built.
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 reopened 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.
The notice said: “The reason for the proposed order is to facilitate excavation for new services and facilitate the completion of the travel hub.”
Fairfax Road currently funnels traffic into the centre of Prestwich and the main public car park at the Longfield centre and in the other direction towards the M60 and Bury New Road.
The road can become congested, particularly at peak times.
Work began in October, 2024 to deliver a £14m multi-storey car park and travel hub in the centre of Prestwich.
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The project is the first phase of a massive £100m regeneration project to create a new village centre which includes demolition of the current Longfield centre, a new retail centre, market hall and community hub along with more than 200 new homes.
The first part of that plan is the former Fairfax Road car park site which had capacity for 168 vehicles. A two-storey, three-level car park will be built with 301 spaces
Recently, Your Prestwich, who are managing the regeneration, gave an update on the travel hub project.
It said: “Despite some wet weather, progress is pushing on with steel erection now well underway, alongside grouting to columns and retaining wall infills.
“We’re just two weeks away from starting masonry and four weeks from the first concrete floor toppings – exciting milestones as the hub continues to take shape.”
