Local Democracy Reporting Service
LDRSComplaints about gridlock caused by work to install bus lanes on a city centre road have prompted a council to respond.
Salford Council began work on Chapel Street in April with a finish date of April 2026 but a road closure which came into effect on 5 May has caused long tailbacks.
Chapel Street has been shut westbound from Blackfriars Road to New Bailey Street with some motorists reporting “hour-long queues” and residents saying they have “never seen it like this before”.
A council spokesperson said that the “one-way closure on Chapel Street represents the best solution currently available to deliver the works safely and efficiently”.
‘Extensive excavations’
They said the council sought to balance the needs of local residents and businesses while maintaining the operation of public transport and general traffic flow.
When asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service why the works were set to take a year, lead member for planning, transport and sustainable development Mike McCusker said “extensive excavations” were needed to accommodate the work required.
“The contractor has to carry these works out safely for the workforce and the public whilst maintaining access for buses, residents, businesses and general traffic in the city centre where there is very limited space and high congestion,” he said.
The work also includes the installation of more pedestrian areas and extra room for buses.
LDRSCommuter Helen Marsh said on social media that it took her “one-and-a-half hours to do a 13-mile journey from Leigh into Manchester [on] Thursday morning” using the A6.
“It was gridlocked, cars blocking junctions because the lights turn before you can move, horns beeping everywhere,” she added.
She said it was putting people off travelling into the city centre.
After the first week of the closure Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) said it had spoken to Salford Council to see if any tweaks could be made.
“We met with Salford Council and other key partners… to investigate the causes of the disruption in more detail and are exploring options to ease the build-up of traffic along Chapel Street going forward, including potential changes to traffic light sequencing at the junction of Blackfriars Street,” a TfGM spokesperson said.
