Manchester City Council has announced that Portland Street is set to reopen to traffic from the early hours of Wednesday, November 4. The road has been closed since a water main ruptured last week.
Crews from United Utilities and Manchester City Council have worked around the clock since Friday afternoon to resolve the burst water main. They first isolated the source of the leak and repaired it, then rebuilt and resurfaced the damaged stretch of road.
What the Portland Street repair involved
The job was bigger than a patch-up as teams reinstated 1,500 square metres of roadway, which is roughly the size of six tennis courts. After backfilling, they planed away and removed around 600 tonnes of old road surface.
Two base layers have gone down, and crews are finishing the top surface, the anti-slip surfacing and the road markings today. Road markings are extensive and include bus stops, a cycle lane, hatched areas, and white and yellow linings.
Liam Garvey, Water Network Manager for United Utilities in Manchester, said his teams “worked long hours” once the burst was repaired, and thanked local people for their patience.
Buses return to their usual routes
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) staff put extra resources into redirecting affected public transport routes during the closure. Alison Chew, TfGM’s Director of Bus, confirmed that buses will go back to their normal routes through the city centre once the road reopens. She acknowledged that the past week’s diversions disrupted passengers.
Councillor Mandie Shilton Godwin, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport, thanked residents for their patience. She said the council could not have foreseen the incident, but understands how disruptive it has been.
If you commute through Manchester city centre, expect services to return to normal from Wednesday morning. Check the latest travel updates before you set off, as the road may take a little time to settle back into its usual flow.
