A recent £9m revamp of a major road in Manchester which controversially featured no cycle lanes has been condemned as a 'missed opportunity' after a cyclist was left with a 'life-threatening injury' from a car crash last weekend. The cyclist was rushed to hospital on Sunday afternoon (May 15) with a head injury following a collision with a car on Great Ancoats Street at around 5pm.
No arrests have been made in relation to the incident so far, but the news has sparked anger among some who say this was 'an accident waiting to happen'. It comes after Manchester council invested £9m to upgrade one of the city centre's busiest roads – but no cycle lanes were created as part of the plans.
Dozens of cyclists protested the plans for the inner ring road which connects the Northern Quarter to Ancoats, New Islington and Piccadilly in July 2019. And when the work was finally finished in March 2021, many questioned whether the promise of a 'European-style boulevard' had been fulfilled.
