Fury after roadworks cause chaos

By Ruth Clegg
BBC News

Many people are using buses because the tram stops have been closed

One set of roadworks is bad enough when you are trying to negotiate your way through rush hour traffic.

But the cones and barriers that have appeared on three major roads across Manchester city centre have been enough to induce panic in even the calmest commuter.

United Utilities is digging up Oxford Street, National Grid is pulling out gas pipes along Deansgate - and if you want to escape the turmoil of bus travel through these zones then don't head for the tram stops.

GMPTE is in the process of a large-scale tram rail replacement scheme of the Metrolink network, resulting in Shude Hill, Market Street, Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly Station and Mosley Street being closed while work is carried out.

Horns beeping, cars screeching to a halt, chaos has overtaken the city centre.

Male Krishna is from India and has come to visit her daughter who is studying at Manchester University.

She said: "My holiday has been disrupted by these works and it has proved a lot more difficult to get around. I suppose you expect these kind of roadworks in big cities but it has been frustrating.

It is a frightening prospect. I have been here for 30 years now, specialising in bodywork and repainting, and I have never seen business so bad. Frank Galloway, Greenbrow Motors

"It took us 45 minutes to travel only 800m on the bus yesterday."

Ahsan Kidwai is a student at the city's university. He is studying economics and has exams in three days. The 20-year-old is worried that the delays will have an impact on his studies.

"It is a big concern, I am having to allow double the time for my daily commute and I need to do as much studying as possible.

"I will be more worried on the first day of my exams - what if this traffic chaos makes me late?"

Commuters are not the only ones who are feeling the strain. Frank Galloway owns Greenbrow Motors on New Wakefield Street, just off Oxford Road.

The recession has hit his business hard but these roadworks, he said, are destroying what little custom he had left.

Frank Galloway is going to apply for compensation because of lost business

"It is a frightening prospect. I have been here for 30 years now, specialising in bodywork and repainting, and I have never seen business so bad.

"I rely on passing trade, with these roadworks blocking part of Oxford Street off it is really harming my business.

"I will be applying to United Utilities for some form of compensation."

Manchester City Council said the timing of the different works, each lasting at leasing five weeks, was unavoidable.

Chris Barber, head of highways services, said: "The water replacement works on Oxford Road are part of a two-year investment programme by United Utilities, meaning that there was always going to be some water or gas mains work going on at the same time.

"The tram rail replacement works could not be delayed as there was concern about possible derailment so we postponed the works on Oxford Road for a month to let the Mosley Street and Portland Street situation settle down.

"If we delayed the Oxford Road works until the tram works were completed it would run through into the busier Christmas period."

A United Utilities spokeswoman said that compensation claims would be looked at and treated on an individual basis.