Ormskirk's new bus station opened today
Ormskirk's modern new bus station opened today (Monday 13 March).
Its first day of operation is a major landmark in the progress of the £3.4m Ormskirk Eastern Gateway Project.
The project is a partnership between Lancashire County Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Historic England to upgrade Ormskirk town centre focused on the area around St Helens Road, Moor Street and the bus station.
Its aim is to support the local economy by making the area more attractive for everyone who lives, visits, shops and works in Ormskirk, as well as encouraging sustainable travel by improving public transport, walking and cycling facilities.
The modern new bus station offers a more comfortable environment for passengers, featuring real time passenger information, five bays for buses with easy disabled access, toilet facilities and cycle parking.
County Councillor Rupert Swarbrick, Lancashire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said: "The new bus station looks great and is a much more welcoming place to wait for your bus than the old one.
"One of our big priorities is to provide people with other, more sustainable, ways of making regular journeys than always using their cars, and having good public transport facilities plays a major part in this.
"The wider project also supports this aim by creating better links for people to walk and cycle between the bus station and the railway station, as well as to Edge Hill University and the hospital.
"We have had some construction difficulties on this project and I'm grateful for people's continued patience while we complete the final pieces of work on Moor Street and St Helen's Road over the coming weeks.
"With the bus station open we're now on the final stretch, and I hope people can see, from the way the bus station looks, the difference this investment will make to Ormskirk once it's all finished."
Pippa Brown, Historic England project manager said: "We’re delighted to have been involved in this project through the Ormskirk High Street Heritage Action Zone. The new bus station will help provide better access for local people and visitors, making it easier for them to enjoy Ormskirk’s special historic town centre."
The project also includes investment in public areas on Moor Street which is currently ongoing, and improvements to cycling and pedestrian facilities on St Helens Road which is due to begin in April.