AN UPDATE on the guided busway roadworks in Leigh town centre has been released.

Transport for Greater Manchester and Wigan Council hope to appoint a contractor in the next few weeks as the preparatory work nears completion.

This means that the main work is due to begin in Spring and be completed in late 2014.

The utilities companies are continuing to make progress with their diversions and will continue working throughout March and April to make way for the new junction and road widening.

United Utilities have finished installing the new water pipes and the gas mains and electricity cables have now been installed along Spinning Jenny Way and Chapel Street.

Next week, Electricity Northwest will be jointing their cables on Spinning Jenny Way and National Grid will be gas testing the new main.

Once these works are complete the traffic lights at the junction of Spinning Jenny Way, Chapel Street and Lord Street South will return to normal operation.

Traffic there should be back to normal towards the end of the week, if not early the following week.

The gas mains and electricity cables have now been installed along Princess Street and Lord Street South and the excavations will be backfilled next week.

There will be works to the gas mains around the junction of Brown Street and Gas Street over the next two weeks. Traffic will still be able to use these roads in both directions.

Later on in March, British Telecom will be installing new telephone wires and underground equipment.

Most of these works will be in the footway so disruption to traffic should be minimal, however, lane closures will be required on Spinning Jenny Way on two consecutive Sundays to allow cables to be installed across the road.