The completion date of work to create a pedestrian-friendly gateway along Frodsham Street into the city centre has been delayed.

Construction began in June to create a welcoming shared space for pedestrians, vehicles and cyclists.

To carry out these works safely, Frodsham Street has had to be closed during a construction phase that was supposed to last six months with a scheduled finish date in December.

However, members of the public can’t fail to have noticed the lack of progress caused by a supplier of granite setts going into liquidation.

And Cheshire West and Chester Council has now revealed that unfortunately the new completion date has been put back to early March 2017.

The news will come as a hammer-blow to Frodsham Street businesses whose trade is bound to be affected by the disruption even though pedestrian footways remain open.

Popular route was closed to traffic in June for around six months
A computer generated image of the Frodsham Street scheme.

Cllr Brian Clarke, cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure, said: “All of the stone for the scheme has been delivered and is now available to the contractor. We had to source granite from a different supplier after our initial supplier went into liquidation and this arrived a little later than we hoped.

“However, the first sections have now been laid outside Paperchase, along with the York stone paving.”

The Frodsham Street work is associated with the creation of the new £13.5m bus interchange at Gorse Stacks. The idea is that surfaces will be on one level with a buff-coloured carriageway and York stone pavements edged with tactile granite setts for the visually impaired as well as benches.

Originally the project was supposed progress along Frodsham Street, in five phases, in the direction of Foregate Street towards Iceland. However, the programme has been rescheduled to allow some work to continue while the delivery of granite was awaited.

The under-construction £13.5m bus intechange at Gorse Stacks.

Cllr Clarke continued: “Work is currently taking place at opposite ends of the scheme and we estimate that the overall project will be complete by early March 2017. We are making sure that we hold regular meetings with traders and site staff continue to liaise with individual properties when access will be affected.”

A diversion and temporary link road are in operation while Frodsham Street is shut to allow continued access to Foregate Street via Northgate Street and under the Eastgate Clock. Buses that normally use Frodsham Street to access Foregate Street have been re-routed up Love Street.

The new bus interchange itself is due to be completed in early February 2017 before opening to the public in early March when the new-look Frodsham Street should also be ready.