A target date of January 5 has been set for the reopening of Bradford Interchange bus station.
The West Yorkshire Combined Authority is working to bring the facility back into operation ahead of a final decision on reopening, which will be made by members next week.
Rail passengers will be able to use the lower concourse of the Interchange after the morning commute on October 28th (from midday) as part of a phased reopening of the wider structure.
Combined Authority officers took a decision to close the Interchange on safety grounds after some concrete fell in the basement.
Following initial findings from structural surveys, the Combined Authority has been reassured that the bus Interchange could safely reopen with mitigation measures in place.
These findings have been backed by an independent expert.
Preparations for reactivating the bus station are already underway, including health and safety checks, staff training, deep cleaning and relocating the travel centre back to the bus station.
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said: “I’m glad to see progress being made on our plan to safely reopen the bus station as soon as we can.
“In the meantime, access to and from the rail station will be made easier before the end of the month.”
Due to the need to complete carriageway waterproofing works which were underway before the Interchange closed, six bus stands out of a total 29 will stay out of action until at least April 2025, meaning some services will remain on-street until that time.
Which services will return is not yet confirmed.
Real time information will also be unavailable until at least February whilst new bus timetables are being developed for services moving back to the Interchange.
Extra staff will be deployed at the bus station, and printed information will be available at bus stops to keep passengers informed.
The lifts, escalator and toilets will all be in operation when the lower concourse reopens on October 28th.
At the same time, the rail station access ramp will close to allow for resurfacing and the installation of new lighting and artwork. Work to transform the former taxi rank into a new public plaza area is ongoing.
