Transport for Greater Manchester has announced the completion of repair works at the Whitefield Metrolink Tunnel.
Essential beam replacement works were carried out on site between Saturday 25 and Thursday 30 October and saw a temporary pause of all tram services.
The work was deemed necessary following an inspection which found a fracture in an iron support beam within the tunnel’s roof, with new precast concrete roof beams and supports now implemented within the structure.
This week will see teams waterproof the tunnel, with facilities set to be put back within the following week. The final phase, which will include landscaping and the reinstatement of street furniture, will be completed within the coming months.
During the closure, a number of additional works were completed, including surveys and construction upgrades on a substation near Heaton Park.
Ian Davies, Metrolink Network Director, said:Replacing beams in a tunnel dating back to the Victorians was never going to be a simple task and the close proximity of nearby electricity, gas, fibreoptic and water mains and the nearby road only added to the complex nature of the work.
Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we’ve been able to complete this work on time and get trams back running through the tunnel and back between Bury and the city centre. Thanks to everyone involved in this project for their efforts and our passengers for their patience this week while the delivery team got the job done.
We know work like this is disruptive to passengers but it helps to make sure our tram network is safe, resilient and reliable for years to come.
