What A Difference A Day Makes
Above - road surfacing ongoing at the new three way track junction on the promenade.
Above : Installing traffic and pedestrian lights at the corner of Talbot Road and Topping Street with urgent paving work needed at this point. Road surface cleaning ongoing in the background.
Above : Roadway lining complete on the southbound promenade before Talbot Square.
From glorious sunshine and balmy warm weather to sodden cold conditions overnight on the very cusp of Spring. The pressure is on Contractors to complete roadworks on Talbot Road and along the Promenade at North Pier before March 2nd. Men, materials and specialty equipment were all on view along Talbot Road and the Promenade today amid overcast skies and persistent rain. The deadline to deliver roadways for the opening of traffic along the section of Talbot Road between Abingdon Street and the
important junction facing Wilko's is forcing overnight work before the coming weekend.
New lighting fixtures are already fitted to the new tram poles installed along Talbot Road whilst paving, traffic lights and road traffic markings are appearing (in places). The weather could not have been worse for contractors today but Friday promises clearer skies and some relief. Nonetheless it appears a considerable amount of final completion of paving, road surface, lighting and pedestrian crossing is still needed.
Tram tracks are all in place and ready for the installation of overhead wiring along the extension - at least as far as the frontage of Wilko's where everything has come to a sudden halt pending arrival of demolition contractors - and about time. But it appears due to hidden background problems between Council, the property Owner and possibly other Parties - the agreed on (or rather expected) timetable for the building's demolition has now clearly been passed with no firm date in sight. Not a particularly encouraging display of the Local Authority's management of this important project.
A sampling of scenes of activity this afternoon giving a flavour of the state of play.
Deliveries of tarmacadam to complete road resurfacing on the promenade roadway. A miserable scene on the north curve into Talbot Square as earlier foundation work has to be removed for new clearances of paving. In the background the semi derelict (or so it seems) Clifton Hotel a once premier venue in Blackpool's town centre, alas no more. All Images : John Woodman today.
