Essential repairs will be taking place on Eccles New Road and South Langworthy Road from March 20th which will cause the Metrolink line to Eccles to partially close.

Large sections of the roads, often dubbed the worst roads to drive on in Salford due to their many potholes, will be repaired in a 17 day window, ending on April 5th.

The Metrolink line from MediaCityUK to Eccles will be closed completely because of the works, although trams will still run from Ashton-Under-Lyne to MediaCityUK. A replacement bus service will operate between MediaCityUK and Eccles stations.

The roads however will stay open during the works, albeit in one direction only (see image below), with access to all side streets and businesses being maintained completely.

Councillor Mike McCusker, executive support member for planning, housing and sustainable development, commented: “We’re well aware that large sections of Eccles New Road and South Langworthy Road need repairs and the council has been working closely with TfGM for some time now to find the best solution.

“It’s more challenging than our usual road repairs as the Metrolink only stops for a few hours each night. It would not be fair to residents nor practical to do the work at that time so we need the line to close completely.

“The work will be carried out only during the day and we will also use the time to check street lighting, drainage and crash barriers and carry out any necessary repairs.”

The works will be taken up by Salford City Council’s highways teams and see large sections of the road repaired, rather than resurfaced, due to the ageing Metrolink track which has been down for 20 years, requiring upgrading in the next few years, with a full resurfacing likely to take place then.

The news of repairs will be good news for many Salford road users, with the roads in a very poor condition, with drivers regularly complaining of the many potholes, which can cause effects to a cars suspension and potentially cause an accident.

Work is being carried out now in time for the reopening of some non-essential businesses and leisure on April 12th, where the number of road users and people using Metrolink will increase.

Metrolink passengers are being advised to allow extra time for their journeys during the works.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *