A footbridge over the River Irwell in Salford that was controversially closed yesterday - meaning a mile-long detour for locals - will reopen on Saturday, three weeks ahead of schedule.
Frustrated residents were initially told that the bridge - which connects Woden Street and St George’s island - would be closed for a month while developers McGoff carried out improvement works.
Locals told the M.E.N. that it would mean an extra mile journey for the ‘hundreds if not thousands’ of cyclists and pedestrians who use it each day.
McGoff initially said the closure would result in a “more attractive and better-lit footpath and bridge” but that temporary closure was unavoidable to ensure public safety.
But now they say they expect the work to be complete by Friday - meaning the bridge can reopen on Saturday morning.
The work is part of McGoff’s ongoing Downtown project - described as a Manhattan-inspired “hotel-style” development comprising of 368 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
Downtown project manager Keith Gill told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I am pleased to confirm that all works around the bridge will be complete by Friday evening and the bridge will re-open to the general public from the very early hours of Saturday morning.
“Wherever possible, and in the majority of cases, the McGoff Group successfully delivers projects ahead of schedule for clients, and the improvements to the area of public realm around the bridge on Woden Street are no exception.”
“On this occasion, working closely with Salford City Council we have managed to agree design changes that have meant we could utilise materials that we already have on site (albeit at greater cost to McGoff Construction) and not have to wait for materials to be delivered.”
“Our team, along with our contacts at Salford City Council, has worked exceptionally hard in difficult weather conditions to complete the works in as short amount of time as possible to ensure the minimum amount of inconvenience for regular bridge users.”
“Bar any unforeseen circumstances, I am happy to confirm that all of the works will be completed by close of play on Friday and the bridge can be re-opened three weeks earlier than originally planned. The works will make a real improvement to the area around the bridge once completed and we hope that regular users see an improvement next time they are crossing.”
