Work to repair bus apron at The Hard Interchange now complete - this is when it reopens
Work to replace the crumbling surface at The Hard Interchange has finally been completed – but buses and passengers will not be able to use it until January.
The works to repair the bus apron, which were originally expected to take 19 weeks, began in June after Portsmouth City Council contracted Mildren Construction Limited to replace the bus apron pavement at the bus terminal near Gunwharf Quays.
Built in the 70s, it sits on a substructure piled into the seabed and has been plagued with problems and has been deteriorating since the opening of the new £9.2million bus station in May 2017, costing the taxpayers thousands to resurface it and fill in potholes.
Now the council has now announced that the works are complete and that all bus, coach, and taxi services will return to their original stands at the Hard Interchange, but that this will not be until from 7am on Thursday, January 2.
This is because construction is now complete, contractors still need to carry out minimal activity over the coming weeks, and the freshly poured concrete needs 28 days to fully cure and harden to safely support buses and coaches.
This means the last coach service to use the temporary stop at Stop P on Queen Street will be the 5.35am on January 2 National Express departure to Heathrow/London Victoria and then from 7am, all local bus services will resume operations from their original stands on the bus apron. Prior to this time, services will continue using the temporary stands.
The taxi rank will also relocate to its original position at 7am.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport said: "Works have taken slightly longer than expected due to poor weather and the consequent logistics of re-opening around Christmas time.
“We sincerely thank passengers and operators for their patience and understanding throughout this important project.
“This essential work ensures that the Hard Interchange can continue operating as a vibrant and accessible transport hub for many years to come, welcoming visitors and supporting residents on local and national journeys."
He added: “"Portsmouth City Council's legal team are dealing with claims arising from the original works."
The terminal building will remain open, as it has been during the works. Further details about temporary changes to hopping on at the Hard can be found here.