A busy Oldham road could get a £6million makeover - with new cycle lanes and planting

A busy Oldham town centre road could be transformed with a multi-million pound scheme for improved walking and cycling routes and made greener with new planting.

Oldham council has been allocated £900,000 to develop detailed plans for how to make St Mary’s Way more accessible in the near future.

The authority says that currently the road is an ‘imposing’ dual carriageway that cuts through the edge of the town centre and has ‘poor’ pedestrian and cycle links.

“The scheme at St Mary’s Way to the north of Oldham town centre will play a crucial role in supporting this regeneration by reshaping the highway link to provide better connectivity for public transport, pedestrians and cyclists, and creating a high-quality public realm,” the report to cabinet states.

The total cost of the scheme will be £6m, which will be funded by the Department of Transport’s City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).

Join our WhatsApp Top Stories and Breaking News group by clicking this link.

The council is looking to deliver a scheme that will see road space along St Mary’s Way, between Henshaw Street and Yorkshire Street, being made greener through the planting of trees and shrubs.

The road will also become more pedestrian and cycling friendly and allow easier access for public transport users.

Through the proposed scheme traffic and buses will use the northern half of the current dual carriageway to travel in both directions with the southern half re-purposed to include dedicated space for walking and cycling, as well as planting to make the area more attractive while assisting with drainage.

A two-way cycle track with priority over side roads, crossing points, widening of pedestrian paths and improved bus stop facilities will be