Its been several weeks since we featured photos from the newest part of the Blackpool Tramway where obvious progress had been made but that all changes here as there is more concrete around the tracks on the old Wilko’s site whilst we can start to play spot the new span wire again along Talbot Road! Tony Armitage made a visit to the site on Tuesday 2nd November 2021.
It was announced at the end of last week that there would be late night bus diversions in Blackpool Town Centre to allow the overhead work to take place on Talbot Road. Each night from Monday 1st November between 2200 and 0500 each night various bus services are being diverted with the announced on the Blackpool Transport website saying that this is from 1st to 5th November and also states until the works are complete. Judging by the length of time it took the overhead to be installed down at Talbot Square we would imagine the diversions/road closures will be in place for longer than 5th November.
The first night of the works – Monday 1st November – saw a further span wire installed at the junction of Dickson Road/Talbot Road (so just before the Wilko’s site). There will be more span wires likely required further down Talbot Road towards the Prom as the previous work had seen Abingdon Street as the furthest east that a span wire had been installed leaving a large gap currently. But it at least shows some more progress and as time goes on hopefully it won’t be too long before we see the full wiring along the length of the extension.
The other focus of attention for the extension works has been at the former Wilko’s site and after much preparation in recent weeks the final concrete surface has been installed surrounding the tracks making a huge difference to the look and really starting to show how it will look once the whole project is completed.
Outside Ma Kelly’s at the junction of Dickson Road/Talbot Road and the new span wire was installed overnight on 1st November.
A closer view of the new span wire.
Although there remains wire mesh either side of the tracks it has now been covered by concrete between the tracks with the site now starting to look like a tramway.
The newly poured concrete is hosed down just beyond the scissors crossover. (All Photographs by Tony Armitage, 2nd November 2021)