The six-kilometre route will link Piccadilly with the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live via the Ashton Canal...
The CyanLines walking and wheeling route connecting Manchester city centre with the Etihad Campus has received £2.5m towards its first phase of improvements.
Funding from Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund will be used to improve accessibility along the CL5 route, which runs between Piccadilly and the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live via the Ashton Canal.
The initial work will include a new wheelchair-friendly ramp connecting the canal with Joe Mercer Way, alongside the removal of physical barriers, resurfacing, improved lighting and new wayfinding.
Plans for the 3.7-mile route were unveiled earlier in September and also include new play areas, places to rest, tree planting, rain gardens, wildflower meadows and green walls.
Steve Connor, programme director at CyanLines, said: “The award of this funding from Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund for CyanLines CL5 is hugely important as it means we can move forward with the first phase of improvement works needed so many more people can enjoy the route.
“It is our intention to lever in additional funding to bring more nature into the CL5 route, to include elements to manage rainwater, reduce flood risk and create cool zones to help to shade users from extreme heat.”
The route begins at Piccadilly station and follows the Ashton Canal through New Islington and Holt Town to the Etihad Campus, including the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live. It then loops back towards the city centre, joining the existing CityLink before passing through the Medlock Valley and Mayfield and returning to Piccadilly.
The plans have been developed by CyanLines alongside Manchester City Football Club, Manchester City Council, Co-op Live and the Canal & River Trust, with input from community groups, young people and students from the Norman Foster Institute for Sustainable Cities.
The improvements come as the Etihad Campus continues to expand. The Etihad Stadium has increased its capacity to just over 60,000, while the developing Medlock Square will include a covered fan park for around 6,000 people, a hotel, restaurants and new entertainment venues.
Councillor Garry Bridges, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Throughout our city we are seeing new and innovative ways to bring nature closure to our residents, improve people’s wellbeing and make it easier for people to travel more sustainably. This latest round of funding is yet another step towards creating a truly linked up Manchester and will be a welcome arrival for the thriving neighbourhoods of east Manchester.”
The first phase of improvement works is expected to begin in the new year.
CyanLines is a wider project aiming to connect green and blue spaces through walking, wheeling and cycling routes, initially across Manchester and Salford city centres before extending further across Greater Manchester.
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