Home | Metrolink Introduction | Ashton–under–Lyne Line: updated 7 November 2007 | pages list
The existing Metrolink line is shown light green on the diagram, phase 3a is shown red and phase 3b orange.
Manchester to Droylsden, phase 3a
The Ashton line will leave Piccadilly Undercroft station via the present reversing sidings which will be converted for passenger use.
Emerging from under Piccadilly Station, the route crosses Sheffield Street near its junction with Baird Street; taking a portion of the car park, it then rises slightly to the point where Portugal Street East is crossed near its junction with Baird Street. The adjoning building has been modified to allow the route to continue towards north–western side of Longacre Street. Fletcher Square and Fair Street will be closed and removed.
If an underpass for Great Ancoats Street, the Inner Relief Road, is provided it would start between Fletcher Square and Fair Street. A signal controlled crossing would be near the Pollard Street / Great Ancoats Street junction.
The old buildings on the route between Pollard Street and the Ashton Canal, from Great Ancoats Street to Carruthers Street, have all been cleared.
Pollard Street stop will be on the Piccadilly side of Munday Street. The route then is in a reserved way alongside a new development towards the Pollard/Carruthers/Merrill Streets junction.
There will be shared running with road traffic for 250 metres (270 yards) of Merrill Street.
Beswick Street will be re–routed, to the other side of the Mitchell Arms, ending opposite Every Street. The existing junction of Beswick Street and Ashton New Road will be removed.
Holt Town stop will be off–street, on the now grass covered area, between the road called Holt Town and the River Medlock.
The route uses the eastern part of Holt Town; which will be closed to road traffic, this is alongside the higher level park; it then goes through a bridge under Cambrian Street.
The footpath from Holt Town to the Stadium, which was built as part of the pedestrian route from the City Centre for the 2002 Commonwealth Games, goes through a separate arch.
Substantial advance works include a bridge across the River Medlock east of Cambrian Street also bridges under New Viaduct Street and the Ardwick Branch railway line. They are wide enough to accommodate Metrolink and the footpath, which remains in use.
Sportcity stop, for the City of Manchester Stadium, will be between the canal and stadium; in a space which has a temporary earth fill.
A short tunnel takes the route beneath the Intermediate Ring Road, Alan Turing Way, to the New East (for Velodrome) stop near the Asda superstore. The line here is parallel with Alan Turing Way and then turns to run between the store and the north side of Ashton New Road.
There will be a signal controlled crossing of a car park entrance, then a short distance to a new bridge over the Ashton Canal. Here the route turns and crosses Ashton New Road, turning again to run parallel with Ashton New Road. Croft Street will have a pedestrian/cycle crossing.
The route will cross Clayton Lane at the end of Eccleshall Street, a short portion of which will be closed to vehicles. Clayton stop will be east of Clayton Lane and south of Ashton New Road.
From Piccadilly to Clayton stop, apart from Merrill Street, the route is tram only.
The main street running section, where trams share with other traffic is along the A662, between Clayton and Audenshaw stops. Stops will be out of the flow of traffic. The A662 road has several names along this length.
Various traffic measures including traffic signals, bus stops not in the flow of trams or traffic, sheltered parking bays for houses along the route, right turn bans and partial road closures will be used to speed both trams and other traffic.
Just to the east of Clayton stop the phase 3a part, which is 2.5 kilometre (1.5 mile) long, starts as Ashton New Road.
Edge Lane stop will be between Manchester Road and Manor Road to the east of Edge Lane.
Cemetery Road stop on the south side of Manchester Road and to the west of Clegg Street.
Droylsden stop will be east of Market Street and out of the flow of traffic on the north side of Ashton Road.
Droylsden to Ashton–under–Lyne, phase 3b
This starts with the 0.85 kilometre (0.53 mile) street running section along Ashton Road and Droylsden Road to the Audenshaw stop, which will be off–street east of Lumb Lane and south of Droylsden Road in the gyratory road layout.
After the Audenshaw stop the route is off–street along the north side of Manchester Road, crosses Gainsborough Road and passes behind the Snipe Inn. It then runs just north of Lord Sheldon Way — the Ashton Northern Bypass — for about 600 metres (660 yards) before crossing to run in the central reservation as far as Ashton.
Ashton Moss stop which is west of the M60 orbital motorway will serve the development in this area.
Ashton West stop will be in the central reservation of the bypass, just west of the Richmond Road junction.
At the bypass/Cavendish Street road junction, the tracks cross the carriageway to run on a reserved way along the south side of Wellington Road. The route crosses Oldham Road to the terminal platforms adjacent to Ashton bus station.
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This page was written and illustrated by Tony Williams, Manchester Area Officer, Light Rail Transit Association. Contact manwebm@lrta.org if you have any comments, ideas or suggestions about these pages.