Work on extending the Blackpool Tramway along Talbot Road to Blackpool North Railway Station has now reached a stage which has allowed the Promenade road to reopen to through traffic – bringing an end to winter diversions which have continued slightly longer than planned. The road finally reopened on Friday 1st March after the completion of road resurfacing with the new triangular junction between the two tram routes now in place.
Cllr Gillian Campbell, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “There is still work to be completed on the footways but this will not impact on the roads and we will remove all associated barriers and signage as soon as possible. I would like to thank all of the residents, businesses and visitors who have been inconvenienced as result of these works. As someone who visits the town centre most days I know it has been a trying time and I am as relieved as everyone else to know the disruption is over.”
This brings an end to a closure which started at the end of the 2018 Illuminations in November and was originally due to be reopened in January but snagging works meant that this was delayed.
With that section of the project now completed attention is being turned towards the single platform stop in Talbot Square whilst at the other end of the line – towards Wilkinson’s – workers have been clearing up ahead of a further road reopening from there to Abingdon Street sometime in the near future.
Then it will just be a case of waiting for all overhead poles to be installed, the overhead itself to be strung and then finally Wilkos to be demolished and replaced by the new tram terminus. Obviously the Easter 2019 date will not be met but a recent article in The Gazette suggested the line should be open by the end of 2020.
Looking across the Promenade road towards the compound at Talbot Square with the road surface now in place.
Looking the other way and we see the track and road surface in place.
Work is continuing on the platform in Talbot Square.
Workers clearing the site around Wilkinson’s at the other end of Talbot Road. (All Photographs by Peter Dockerty, 1st March 2019)
Once the roads are fully open, it might be a wise move for Blackpool Transport to divert the No. 1 service from the promenade at Talbot Square to and from the North Station, before a cut-price (or even cut-throat!) competitor gets the idea to run a similarly diverted promenade service.