Rumours National Express coaches might not be able manoeuvre around the under-construction new Chester bus interchange have been put to bed.
The Chronicle has been approached by members of the public concerned at the tight curves of the elliptical-shaped structure being built at Gorse Stacks.
One bus driver said a colleague had expressed worries but he himself countered that the Birkenhead bus station was a similar design ‘and that works’.
And a Chronicle reader messaged the newsroom on Facebook with the following comment: “Hi, allegedly Chester new bus and coach station has a slight problem, due to size of curve National Express cannot use this new station, thought maybe you could check it out .”
But Cheshire West and Chester Council, who are behind the £13.5m project, insist both computer models and real world trials have shown buses and coaches can get around the new lay-out.
Councillor Brian Clarke, cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure, said: “The layout of the Chester bus interchange is similar in design to others elsewhere, such as Wolverhampton and Birkenhead. The architects and engineers, employed by the council to develop the scheme had experience of designing bus interchanges in the past and were fully conversant with the required design criteria.
“Following the design, coaches and buses have been simulated and tracked around the computer model, which highlights the swept path of the vehicles, showing the wheel tracks and body of the vehicles travelling around the interchange. No conflict was found.
“In addition to this and with the assistance of the contractor, GRAHAM, and National Express, the interchange design was laid out at Wrexham Road Park and Ride site a couple of weeks ago and a National Express coach drove around the layout, and successfully traversed the tightest bends whilst also allowing quite considerable clearance.
“Following this trial, both National Express and the future operators of the interchange were confident that no problems should occur in the future interchange. We are also intending to invite the other bus operators to drive around the interchange once the turning area is clear and sufficiently progressed to allow vehicle movements.”
The new bus interchange is due to be completed in early February 2017 before opening to the public in early March when the new-look Frodsham Street, which is part of the same project, should also be ready. The idea is that it will allow the current Princess Street bus exchange to be closed freeing up space for the £300m Northgate Development regeneration scheme.
