Work is set to get under way to create a new 250 space Park & Ride site on the East Lancashire Road (A580) in Manchester to encourage commuters to catch future busway services.
The facility, being developed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) underneath the M60 & M61 junctions, will serve a major bus priority route linking Leigh, Tyldesley, Atherton and Salford with the city centre and Oxford Road.
The car park will be free of charge to passengers with a valid ticket.
Work to build a new junction for the entrance to the Park & Ride site has already begun and is being carried out by Galliford Try, the contractor who is currently carrying out work to create dedicated bus lanes along the A580.
A further 175 Park & Ride spaces will also be available along the 4.5mile guided section of the busway, at East Bond Street in Leigh, and Tyldesley Interchange.
Over £30m is being invested to deliver more than 2,000 new Park & Ride spaces at key locations for bus, train and Metrolink passengers across Greater Manchester.
Cllr Andrew Fender, Chairman of the TfGM Committee, said: “We know from experience that a combination of free car parking and first rate public transport will encourage more drivers to switch to more sustainable modes of transport for part, and sometimes all, of their journey.
“When they open later this year, busway services will offer fast, frequent and reliable bus services to employment, education, and healthcare facilities in Salford, Manchester city centre and Oxford Road to the south of the city centre.”
