The firm will be using a new innovative slip-forming technique to install the guided busway which will significantly reduce costs and construction times over traditional methods.

The 4.5-mile section of guided busway will run through a disused rail corridor between Leigh town centre and Ellenbrook in Salford using specially adapted buses which will run on two dedicated concrete tracks alongside the highway.

Balfour Beatty, working with consultants Atkins, has also designed the scheme which will have 14 stops and follows a former railway route between East Bond Street in Leigh and Newearth Road in Ellenbrook.

Councillor Andrew Fender, Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “This is a momentous week as we start work to deliver this major transport link. The Leigh Busway is the flagship scheme of a much wider bus priority package – one of the largest investments in Greater Manchester’s bus network for decades, with over 25 miles of the network being either created or improved.”

Ultimately, the £68m scheme will link Leigh, Tyldesley, Ellenbrook, Salford and Manchester.

Peter Commins, Managing Director of Balfour Beatty’s North West Delivery Unit, said: “Our team worked very closely with Transport for Greater Manchester during the design phase to ensure that the new busway offers convenience and comfort for users. We look forward to strengthening this collaborative relationship during construction.”