A VISION OF THE FUTURE

MAYOR'S DELIGHT AT TOWN'S TRANSPORT INTERCHANGE

- DECLAN CAREY

STOCKPORT'S new transport interchange has been hailed as a 'vision of the future' by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.

The new bus station and two-acre rooftop Viaduct Park have now opened to the public after years of work at the site.

It has 18 bus stands with the capacity for 164 departures every hour, as well as a new walking and cycling route between the park and Stockport's railway station.

From late April, a spiral and cycle walking ramp will connect the new park with the River Mersey frontage and Trans Pennine Trail, creating access between the park and on to the town centre on cycle or foot.

A new stretch of the banks of the Mersey will be opened up, creating a riverside space that can be enjoyed by the public.

The new interchange is set to be an important part of Greater Manchester's aim to create a London-style integrated public transport system, with buses in Stockport set to be brought under local control from January 2025.

The £140m project has also created around 200 new apartment homes overlooking the park. The work is part of a £1bn investment in the regeneration of Stockport town centre.

Mr Burnham told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "I've not stopped smiling since I got here. From a transport point of view it's a huge lift, but look at the park as well, open space, green space, amazing new developments - this is a vision of the future.