Portland Street in Manchester city centre is set to reopen to traffic in the early hours of Wednesday morning (November 4) after 'extensive' emergency repairs were completed, Manchester City Council has said. The road had been closed since a water main burst last Wednesday (October 28), causing 'significant disruption' to a major public transport route.
Emergency repairs complete
A major operation was put into action after the broken water main ruptured, with streams of water running down the road and a massive puddle forming at the junction with Chorlton Street, leaving members of the public having to jump over flood water. A large cordon was put in place as crews from United Utilities and the council began work to repair the road.
The incident led to traffic chaos around the city centre and the closure of Piccadilly Gardens bus station, which caused hours of delays for commuters who faced "gridlock traffic" over the weekend.
Bus services to return
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) was forced to redirect affected public transport routes, with a number of diversion routes put in place. Alison Chew, TfGM's Director of Bus, said the organisation is "pleased" buses will return to their usual routes on Wednesday.
She said: "We know the diversions over the past week have caused disruption to passengers, and we thank everyone for their patience and understanding while the necessary repairs were completed. We also want to thank our teams who have been out in the city centre throughout the week, working hard to keep people moving during the closures."
Roadway restored
The council said around 600 tonnes of road surface has been planed away and replaced since crews began to repair the road. "Since the burst was repaired last week, our teams have worked long hours to restore around 1,500 square metres of roadway, the equivalent of six tennis courts," said Liam Garvey, Water Network Manager for United Utilities in Manchester.
"We're pleased to have completed this work and would like to thank local people for their patience and understanding while it was carried out. The support shown to our team on site has been greatly appreciated."
Councillor Mandie Shilton Godwin, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, thanked people in the city centre for their patience throughout the disruption. Cllr Godwin said: "Whilst we could not have foreseen the incident that led to the road's closure we appreciate just how disruptive this has been. Thanks to the incredible efforts of the work crews that have worked tirelessly over the past week we're pleased to say the road will be back in use from Wednesday morning."
