Route to new transport hub reaches final stages
FINAL preparations are under way in Stockport as the town prepares to open its new transport interchange in the spring.
Work began toward the end of 2022 as part of a huge transformation of the town centre and it’s set to include a two-acre park, 18 bus stands, and nearly 200 apartments based around the area.
The interchange will also have a new pedestrian and cycle route linked to the train station, and a spiral ramp leading to the Merseyway Shopping Centre area as well as the Trans Pennine Trail and town centre.
It’s a key milestone for the borough, and very much-needed as thousands of people are expected to move to the town in the coming years, each with their own commutes and transport needs.
The new transport hub is in many ways pulling together what council leader Mark Hunter has described as “just the start of the amazing things we have planned for Stockport this year”.
He said: “It won’t be long before residents and visitors can make use of the new facilities, walkways and cycling routes, and the unique rooftop park overlooking the town centre.
“It’s all part of the exciting £1 billion investment that’s under way to make Stockport an even better place in which to live, work, play and connect.”
Those plans include 4,000 new homes in the town centre and major upgrades by Network Rail to two bridges in Edgeley, which are due to be replaced with space for Metrolink tracks in future.
Stockport residents enjoy a number of transport options to Manchester city centre and beyond, but getting the tram in the transport interchange would be the jewel in the crown for the town.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said at the end of last year that Stockport’s new transport hub will be “Metrolink ready”, and an update is expected later this year on the business case for bringing the tram to the borough.
Chris Barnes, head of projects group at Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), called Stockport’s new interchange a “state-of-theart development that represents a landmark in the transformation of Stockport town centre.”
He said: “Building the Bee Network in Greater Manchester is about helping people to get around and the Interchange is a fantastic example of that - making it easier to catch buses and at the same time connecting them to rail through walking, wheeling and cycling routes.
“The new facility will help people to travel around Stockport and beyond and we look forward to updating people soon on when it will be open for business.”