Bolton Town Centre (East) Phase 1 Active Travel Scheme
Bolton Council is committed to creating a town centre that is safer and easier to move around for everyone who lives, works, studies or visits here.
We are delivering major improvements to walking and cycling routes across Bolton town centre.
The scheme is part of the Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund and will help people travel more easily, support regeneration and strengthen links to the transport interchange and wider Bee Network.
Phase One will introduce high quality, safe and attractive walking and cycling infrastructure along Bradshawgate and Great Moor Street, making every day journeys simpler and more enjoyable while supporting the long-term transformation of Bolton town centre.
Bolton Council secured £5.18m delivery funding for the scheme in 2023. However, delivery was delayed due to concerns over conflicting work with the demolition of Crompton Place.
As the demolition of Crompton Place is now underway, we are able to start construction.
The improvements include:
- Segregated cycle tracks along Bradshawgate and Great Moor Street, giving people a safe, dedicated space to cycle.
- Four upgraded junctions that will make crossing easier and safer for people walking and cycling.
- Great Moor Street / Newport Street
- Great Moor Street / Johnson Street / bus station exit
- Great Moor Street / Bradshawgate
- Bradshawgate / Churchgate / Deansgate
- Continuous footways and side road entry treatments, giving pedestrians priority and reducing conflict with vehicles.
- Upgraded pedestrian crossing on Bradshawgate, north of Nelson Square.
- Full carriageway resurfacing, improving ride quality for all users.
- New footway paving to enhance the look of the street and improve the experience for pedestrians.
The project is designed to make Bolton town centre safer, healthier and more connected.
It will improve road safety by reducing conflict between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
Segregated cycle lanes provide a protected space for cyclists of all ages and are especially valuable for younger or less confident riders who may not feel comfortable mixing with traffic.
The scheme will strengthen the Bee Network by improving connections to the bus and railway stations and creating a more integrated, reliable transport system across the town centre.
Delivery:
The council has appointed Bethell Group under an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) contract.
The first stage of the contract will focus on programme development, refining costs, utilities coordination, traffic management planning and identifying risks.
Construction will begin in October 2026. Further updates on the phasing of the works will be provided in September through advanced warning signs, letters and social media channels.
Traffic management will be in place throughout construction to keep the public and our operatives safe, and we will work to minimise disruption to the highway network for the duration of the project.
Engagement:
We acknowledge that there has been a significant period since engagement on this scheme occurred.
Please be assured Bolton Council values your comments and has used them to help shape the final improvements. Please see consultation report for more details.
We are hosting a drop-in engagement session for you to come and speak with the Highways Team, TfGM and the contractor.
The session will give you the chance to learn about the scheme and provide you with a chance to discuss access requirements should you be directly impacted during construction.
The session will be held 3pm – 7pm Thursday 10th September 2026 at Bolton Central Library.
Other related work:
- Crompton Place demolition – this has started and we expect it to be completed in 2027. We are working closely with the demolition team to ensure there are no conflicting works and to minimise disruption.
- Bolton Town Centre (East) Phase 2 – this scheme is currently at detailed design stage. Details of this phase can be found here.