The Regent Road roadworks won't be finished until the end of the month at the earliest, it has been revealed.
Bosses had previously given a provisional date of today, Tuesday August 20, as the day cones would be removed and the new lanes opened on the beleaguered year-long scheme.
However they said today that this was always weather dependent.
Most of what needs to be done is resurfacing and that cannot be done in extreme heat or torrential rain.
And the recent prolonged downpours have caused some delays to the schedule of the £15million project, a joint one between Manchester and Salford City councils.
A spokesman for Manchester town hall said: "Work on Regent Road remains on track to finish by the end of August.
"We have always been clear that particularly bad weather conditions, such as extreme heat or ongoing heavy rain, could impact on the speed at which the final stages were completed.
"Recent torrential rain has meant that the provisional finish date has moved beyond the Tuesday 20 August date which was envisaged at one point, as work such as resurfacing cannot take place in very wet conditions.
"We will provide further updates as this project to ease traffic congestion along one of Manchester and Salford’s busiest key roads draws to a close."
The new estimated finish date is the end of August, however bosses again stressed this would be dependent on the weather.
The news of their impending completion will be music to the ears of commuters who have suffered daily delays and long queues on the stretch of the city centre ring road from the Mancunian Way to Regent Road, including Chester Road and Deansgate, since they began last August.
However a CGI video gives an impression of how it will look when motorists get to drive through it for the first time.
The scheme involves changes to six key junctions including Chester Road/Mancunian Way roundabout and where Regent Road meets Trinity Way, Ordsall Lane, and Oldfield Road.
The video, which you can watch at the top of the article, gives motorists an idea of how the extra 25 percent capacity, which bosses say will cut congestion, will be configured.
On the Deansgate roundabout , there will be two extra lanes between Chorlton Road and the A56 Chester Road, one of which will provide a new right turn onto the A56 towards Deansgate, one extra lane between the Mancunian Way and the A56 towards Deansgate, and one extra lane between the Mancunian Way and Chorlton Road.
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At the Trinity Way junction there will be three lanes in each direction on Regent Road between Water Street and Ordsall Lane and three lanes which turn from Dawson Street onto Regent Road towards Salford.
There will also be new and improved crossings for cyclists and pedestrians.
The entire scheme was plunged into crisis and work ground to a halt in March when former lead contractor, the Welsh firm Dawnus, went into administration.
However John Sisk and Son were appointed to replace them around a fortnight later and town hall chiefs have said they have made up time and this has had no impact on the planned finishing date.
Another controversial scheme, , is also due to start shortly.
The council say that scheme will not begin in earnest until Regent Road is finished, possibly at the end of September, and that the final design has not yet been sign off.
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