Just last month, we saw the announcement of CyanLines’ fifth route, known as CL5 Holt Town, which will create a new and improved walking and cycling route from Manchester Piccadilly towards Etihad Campus.

Now, £2.5 million in funding has been secured for the route through Greater Manchester’s Good Growth Fund, meaning work can start next year. Improvements to route surfaces, wayfinding and lighting will be included, alongside wheelchair-friendly access from the Ashton Canal to the Etihad Stadium and Co-op Live Arena.

The route will start at Manchester Piccadilly Station, where more than 25 million passengers passed through in 2025, before continuing through New Islington and splitting into two paths. One will follow the Ashton Canal, passing Brunswick Mill and Pollard Yard, while the other will follow CityLink, which was redeveloped in 2024.

From the canal, the route will lead up to Etihad Campus, making Manchester City’s stadium, Co-op Live and the surrounding leisure attractions more accessible. It will then continue through Holt Town to the tram stop before winding down alongside the River Medlock to meet Mayfield Park – the city centre’s first new park in more than 100 years, which opened in 2022.

CyanLines will eventually cover more than 100 miles of walkways throughout Greater Manchester, focusing on linking parks, squares, canals, rivers and viaducts to promote active travel, biodiversity and community health. The initiative was first announced in September 2025, with four pilot routes put forward.

Backed by Manchester City Council, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the National Trust and Natural England, the project aims to secure £100 million in funding over the next 10 years.

The iconic stretch of Deansgate saw the first CyanLines-branded planters and trees arrive in September 2026. They will remain there for 12 months before being moved to their permanent homes across Greater Manchester. There are also two brightly coloured bike ports, each providing eight bike storage spaces in the space of a single car parking space, reinforcing the project’s focus on active travel.

The CL5 route will also link with the Holt Town Regeneration Masterplan, which will completely transform the eastern side of Manchester city centre.

With major regeneration plans already underway across this part of Manchester, improved walking and cycling connections will play an important role in linking new neighbourhoods with existing communities, public transport and leisure facilities. As Holt Town continues to develop, the CL5 route will help make the area more accessible while creating new opportunities for residents and visitors to explore the city on foot or by bike.