Hundreds of individual cobbles in Albert Square will be lifted, photographed and recorded and eventually reinstated one by one.
The work, part of the construction of the city’s second Metrolink crossing will commence this month as work to install the new tramway will see pipes and cables diverted away from its path.
The work will be carried out in two phases in around a third of Albert Square from the start of August until the end of October, and again from January until March next year and Transport for Greater a Manchester says that the programme has been carefully planned to minimise disruption to city centre events, and Manchester City Council is working closely with organisers.
A temporary surface will be installed from the end of October until the cobbles are permanently reinstated between January and March next year, to support Albert Square’s peak events season.
Access to the Town Hall’s main entrance will be maintained at all times. No trees will be affected and at least one lane of traffic will be in place along Albert Square and Princess Street at all times.
Peter Cushing, Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Metrolink Director, said: “This is a crucial part of the Second City Crossing project and we’ve planned it in painstaking detail: even to the point of recording each and every one of the cobbles affected.” Adding
We’ve chosen the least disruptive method at the same time as maintaining traffic and pedestrian links.
The 2CC route will begin in Lower Mosley Street and run through St Peter’s Square, before turning down Princess Street and then heading along Cross Street and Corporation Street before re-joining the existing Metrolink line just outside Victoria.
As part of the project, new stops will be built in Exchange Square and St Peter’s Square.
