Glazing milestone for bus station

Work has begun to install the glazing walls of Blackburn Bus Station, marking an important milestone in the scheme.

Contractor Eric Wright Construction will install the 5m by 1.5m panes of reinforced glass on the external walls of the bus station over the next five weeks along with associated roofworks. There will be 134 panes of structural glass in total.

Once the glazing is complete, work can begin on the internal fit-out, including the concourse flooring. This will feature the same stone flags as those used outside Blackburn Market.

The new bus station is the cornerstone of the £40m Pennine Reach scheme, which has been funded by the Department for Transport and is being jointly delivered by Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire County Council, the highway authority for Hyndburn.

The scheme aims to make it quicker and easier to travel by public transport and access work, leisure, shopping and education facilities from within and outside Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn.

The bus station will be fully covered, have 14 stands and feature the latest technology to allow passengers to plan their journeys. It will also be fully manned improving security and providing travellers with customer information and places to purchase tickets. The new bus station will also provide refreshment and toilet facilities.

Cllr Phil Riley, the Council’s Executive Member for Regeneration, said:

The glass roof is a key element of the unusual and iconic bus station design. The installation of glazing is a sign that things are really starting to take shape on the bus station development and I’m delighted to see the progress that is being made.