13/05/04 - City Centre works near completion

Work in Carlisle city centre on the bus-rail interchange scheme commissioned as part of Cumbria County Council’s capital transport programme should be finished soon.    

New high-quality bus shelters are due to be in place by the end of this week on English Street, where a number of city centre bus stops have been concentrated, with a new "sawtooth" pattern of bus pull-ins. Pavements have been raised at the bus stops to match low-platform buses, making it easier for passengers to embark and alight. Resurfacing work on English Street is planned for Wednesday, Friday and Sunday next week to complete the £1.2 million scheme.   

Meanwhile, two-way traffic will be brought into operation in The Crescent on Monday. The Crescent will take north and eastbound traffic from Botchergate through Lowther Street. This will reduce congestion in English Street, making it easier for buses to pull out into traffic.   

City centre traffic will be back to normal with the completion of the bus-rail interchange scheme, which ties together the use of bus and rail services as closely as possible for the benefit of passengers, increasing comfort, information and accessibility 

Work will remain to be done to complete the £290,000 Botchergate environmental improvement project, the other Carlisle scheme being undertaken at the same time. This is to enhance the carriageway and footway from the area of Tait Street and Crown Street to the junction of Botchergate with English Street.    

Traffic in Botchergate will remain one-way until the end of the scheme.