Roads and transport Better by cycle: completed consultations

Bridgewater Cycleway

Introduction

The Bridgewater Cycleway will complete the final 4km traffic-free cycle route from the south west into Manchester city centre along the Bridgewater Canal tow path.

We are proposing changes at the junction between Deansgate and Whitworth Street West, and how cyclists access The Bridgewater Canal.

Open a larger version of the map

See maps of the proposals.

Deansgate/Whitworth Street West/Bridgewater Viaduct/Castle Street junction:

  • Upgrade junction to toucan crossings, making an easier, signalled controlled route, for pedestrians and cyclists to access the Bridgewater Canal.
  • Increase the size of island crossing Bridgewater Viaduct.
  • Remove the central staggered island on Whitworth Street West and create a larger triangular island to ease crossing.
  • Shared footways between crossing points so cyclists can access and use Toucan crossing.
  • New advanced stop lines.
  • New cycle lanes on approach and through the junction.

Deansgate:

  • Direct south bound traffic into a single lane and away from cyclists travelling in the cycle lane by introducing a small island.
  • New 2 metre wide cycle lane from Bridgewater Street southbound to Whitworth Street dedicated for southbound traffic and a new dedicated left turn lane into Whitworth Street West.
  • Allow cyclists a more prominent and visible position on approach to the junction.
  • Cyclists can access the shared footway through new dropped kerbs in the advanced stop lines.
  • Our proposals for Deansgate complement the improvements the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) will be completing up the road, at the junction of Deansgate with Liverpool Road and Great Bridgewater Street (view detail drawing).

Whitworth Street West:

  • Island introduced to protect cyclists travelling towards Deansgate making a right turn.
  • Allow cyclists a more prominent and visible position on approach to the junction.
  • Allow cyclists to access all junction directions using proposed toucan crossings.
  • Access to Bridgewater Canal basin and cycle route under railway arch.

Bridgewater Viaduct:

  • City centre bound cyclists join carriageway on approach to the junction with Castle Street.
  • Relocate lighting column on footway to allow cycle link.
  • New 2 metre wide cycle lane southbound.

Proposals for the link to the canal basin:

  • New access to canal basin cycle route by relocating an existing car parking space (as shown by the black hatching) to the revised position (shown by the red hatching)
  • Tie in with existing cycling facilities on Chester Road.
  • New signed route to Deansgate/Manchester city centre for cyclists travelling toward the city centre using the existing two way cycle track on Chester Road.

Waiting and loading restrictions:

  • These will stay the same with the exception of the relocated parking space mentioned in ‘Proposals for the link to the canal basin’.

This consultation has closed

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