Roads reopen as Friargate construction continues

Construction on Friargate South is expected to last “another few weeks”.

Road closures on Market Street and Cheapside have been cleared after months of diversions resulting from construction on Friargate South.

Scenes of the ongoing work of the Friargate South Project, which includes Orchard Street, part of Preston's Active Travel improvements. The improvements are designed to encourage cycling and pedestrian movement through the city. | Iconic Media Group

placeholder image — Scenes of the ongoing work of the Friargate South Project, which includes Orchard Street, part of Preston's Active Travel improvements. The improvements are designed to encourage cycling and pedestrian movement through the city. | Iconic Media Group

Vehicles will now be able to travel as normal through Market Street and Cheapside, but barriers do still remain in place between the cenotaph and The Harris.

A map of diversions as a result of the project. The blue-arrowed and red-arrowed areas have been cleared. | Preston City Council

However, construction and further road closures will remain in place for at least “another few weeks”, a council spokesperson told the Lancashire Post in October, who added that the area hadn’t been redeveloped in nearly a decade.

The £3 million Friargate South project kicked off in July, and saw both Friargate South and part of the Flag Market dug up and resurfaced to better link with Friargate North, near the University of Lancashire.

In their plans, Preston City Council described the area around the Flag Market as “dated, tired, and a patchwork of materials”, and said they hoped the improvement works would result in a “missing piece of the jigsaw”.

According to consultation documents for the project, the council were concerned that many of the areas around the Harris Quarter had “been designed around vehicular movement [and so] limiting the potential for cycle and pedestrian use”.

As such, the final vision for the project will include a shared pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicle zone, as well as new courtesy crossings and spaces for outdoor dining.

According to a council spokesperson, the construction will be finished before the end of this year.