Willmott Dixon wins £17.9m first phase of Bury Interchange redevelopment

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has appointed Willmott Dixon to deliver the £17.9m first phase of the Bury Interchange redevelopment, with work on site due to start in November and finish in early 2028.

The contract was procured through the SCAPE Construction Framework, Willmott Dixon said. Phase 1 covers improvements to the Metrolink tram platforms and a new footbridge over the tram lines, giving a direct link to Union Square and step-free access to Pyramid Park by a new pedestrian route.

According to Willmott Dixon, the footbridge is what allows Phase 2 to go ahead, because it will let passengers reach the trams once work on the next stage begins.

Anthony Dillon, Managing Director for Willmott Dixon in the North, said the project was "creating a key piece of infrastructure to help enable plans for the wider regeneration of Bury Interchange". He said the scope included a 57-metre steel pedestrian footbridge and platform and access upgrades.

The phase one scope

TfGM's project page said phase one work starts from mid-November 2026, and that part of the Metrolink car park will be used as a construction compound from then. Planning permission for phase one was granted in July 2025, TfGM said.

New stairs and a lift from the footbridge will give access to the tram platforms, which will be upgraded and refurbished with new canopies and resurfaced platforms.

Tram services will continue to run into Bury Interchange during most of the redevelopment programme, according to TfGM. Funding comes from the government's City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: "Starting next month, we will begin to turn this outdated facility into a modern, accessible and welcoming place".

Phase two

TfGM's programme labels phase two as running from early 2028 to 2030 and covering the interchange and residential development. Construction of the new interchange is expected to begin in early 2028, subject to approvals.

The phase two plans include a fully enclosed building with a waiting area, and TfGM said it was exploring the potential for new residential rental apartments as part of the wider redevelopment. The authority wants Bury Interchange to become Greater Manchester's first carbon-neutral transport hub.

Hawkins Brown is the scheme architect, according to TfGM. OOBE, the landscape architect, said the bridge would create new accessible pedestrian connections to the tram platforms and described the first phase as setting the scene for integrating bus, tram and active travel into the Bee Network.

Track record with TfGM

Mark Robinson, Group Chief Executive at SCAPE, said SCAPE and Willmott Dixon had delivered several projects for TfGM, including seven bus depots. In October 2026, Caroline Compton-James, Deputy Chief Executive at SCAPE, said the delivery of the seven bus depots across Greater Manchester demonstrated the positive relationship between the partners.

Willmott Dixon has also worked with TfGM on Stockport Interchange, which the contractor's project page said included 18 bus stands, a residential complex of 196 homes and a two-acre town centre park above the interchange.

Phase 1 at Bury is due to complete in early 2028, with the new interchange building to follow between early 2028 and 2030, subject to approvals.