What's this emerging from the Chester earth – is it a bird, is it a plane? No, it’s Chester’s new £13.5m bus station.

Work began on the city’s bus interchange at Gorse Stacks last October as politicians helped put spades in the ground.

Now the steel framework is rapidly taking shape along with the wave-shaped roof structure.

Artists impression of what the new bus interchange will look like

It’s just a few short months since a civic ceremony was held on site to mark the start of the project attended by council leader and local ward councillor Samantha Dixon along with town crier David Mitchell plus former landlord and landlady of the Ship Victory, Joe and Helen Gildea, whose pub was controversially demolished to make way for the bus station.

Related story: Historic Chester pub is knocked down

Hear ye! Gorse Stack works begin
Hear ye! Gorse Stack works begin

Ahead of construction, archaeologists scoured the site with Roman remains found from back in the day when chariots were the means of transport rather than double deckers.

Related story: Chester's new Gorse Stack bus interchange construction work begins

Evidence of a Roman timber building was discovered with fragments of two beam slots which would have formed the building’s foundations.

Due to open in early 2017 following a 14-month programme of works, the new bus interchange will enable the closure of the existing Princess Street bus exchange and hopefully pave the way for the proposed £300m Northgate Development.

Cheshire West and Chester Council says the loss of 168 short-stay spaces at Gorse Stacks is more than offset by the new Delamere Street car park which provides 351 spaces.

Part of the steel structure and roof is going up at the new Chester bus station.

Councillor Dixon said at the time: “I look forward to the completion of this new public transport gateway for Chester. I am sure it will provide a much better experience for bus passengers and a more favourable first impression of the city for our many visitors.

Related story: Chester bus station site was once occupied by the Romans

“It will also free up the current Princess Street site for the future development of the Northgate Scheme giving Chester’s retail centre much needed new investment.”