£8m phase lets trams take to the streets

Another £8m is to be spent on preparing the way for Metrolink trams in Rochdale and Oldham town centres.

As work progresses on converting the Rochdale/Oldham loop line to Metrolink for next autumn, officials are also getting ready for the next phase.

Included in the total is about £2million for design, surveys, and procuring land in Oldham and another £1million in Rochdale.

Transport experts say there are 30 diversions of water, electricity, and gas pipes and cables to be moved by the Utility companies in Rochdale town centre and about 50 diversions in Oldham town centre.

The diversion of pipes and cables poses the biggest risk of delay as the work has to be arranged around the work of the utility companies. It is expected to cost around £1.7m.

And another £3m needs to be spent before November arranging land access and acquisition, staff costs, engineering support, traffic modelling, and planning applications.

The cost of converting the Rochdale/Oldham loop tops £200m.

The scheme is being paid for by the Greater Manchester Transport Fund which borrows against future transport levies on all 10 district councils.