Back in 2012, work was completed on a new "granite paved carriageway" in Chapel Street "to reduce traffic volumes...and enhance the public realm" as part of creating "a new high quality environment for investing, living, working and visiting".
Shortly after the smart new road was finished, areas began breaking up as the defects increased, and despite contractors Urban Vision and Galliford Try, er, trying to sort out the mess, it all got worse. Salford City Council took legal action, citing that the defects were a result of "a change of bedding material for the granite blocks part way through the project" and also "issues of workmanship".
A Council report notes that "The experts involved in the legal review could not reach a consensus on the cause of the defects meaning that it is difficult to be confident
that a repair will not fail again in the future".
However, in February, a 'financial settlement' was agreed and £490,000 is to be spent removing the granite blocks and mortar bed, and, instead, laying a 'traditional bituminous road surface' covered in patterned imprinted concrete "to replicate the block paved carriageway in appearance".
The fake 'block paving' is to be laid this summer, after the Regent Road works are complete, and before more massive roadworks at New Bailey, Trafford Road* and Chapel Street East.
The Council report concludes: "Should the remedial works not be carried out and it is a cold, wet winter, the carriageway condition would likely deteriorate even further resulting in potential claims from road users against the Council and more of a struggle for developers to sell new apartments that have recently and are continuing to be built."
• Trafford Road To See Massive Roadworks Next Summer...
Next up after Chapel Street are more massive roadworks on Trafford Road beginning next summer, lasting 18 months and costing £19.8million (£4.835m GM Mayor's Challenge Fund, £10.5m of Growth Deal 3 funding and £4.5m of local match funding by Salford City Council).
It's related to the growth of MediaCityUK, and an independent report commissioned by the Council reckoned there will be another 18,500 jobs created there and the population will swell by 34,000 by 2040.
"The study concluded that the Trafford Road corridor would become increasingly congested and would therefore hinder the predicted growth for the area" the Council states.
The new road layout aims to develop "enhanced innovative cycling and walking facilities whilst delivering vehicular capacity improvements at junctions and reducing overall travel time along the corridor". It includes...
* Reallocation of space from the central reserve to improve carriageway, footway and verge facilities;
* Provision of segregated pedestrian and cycle facilities wherever feasible along
the corridor, including junctions;
* Incorporation of innovative junction configurations that provide separate and
dedicated crossing facilities for both pedestrians and cyclists;
* Renewal of street furniture along the corridor to better suit the proposed
layout;
* Incorporation of public realm and green infrastructure improvements along the
corridor wherever possible;
* Enhanced placemaking and wayfinding through material selection and
introduction of gateway features;
* The layout supports and complements existing and future planned
development.
The Council report adds that the scheme will "improve capacity for vehicles", "reduce congestion" and will segregate "footway and cycle track facilities along the corridor".
Full visualisations will be released in September and October this year with "a second round of public engagement".
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