Bishop Auckland Bus Station, Car Park Project Team Celebrates Topping Out

Bishop Auckland’s new bus station in England is taking shape as the building’s steel frame reaches completion. Marking a key construction milestone on the project, more than 120 hot-rolled steel girders weighing a total of 23.49 tons have been installed. The steel was fabricated less than two miles from the development by South Durham Structures Ltd.

The bus station – being delivered by Esh Construction on behalf of Durham County Council – will offer modern and accessible facilities to passengers.

Sustainable technologies will boost the building’s environmental credentials. These include solar photovoltaic panels on the roof, a rainwater harvesting and re-use system and a green living roof to promote biodiversity.

The bus station will include eight stands and improved passenger information alongside a retail kiosk, toilet facilities, changing places unit and parent and child facility. Alongside it there will be a new 124-space car park, which will include 22 electric vehicle charging points, high-quality paving, street lighting, landscaping and cycle stands.

The development forms part of the council’s wider plans to regenerate Bishop Auckland town center through a range of leisure and recreation projects, including the repurposing and reopening of vacant properties and improving public spaces. The project is part of an £11.8-million investment in the town, with funding secured through the Future High Streets Fund by Durham County Council and seeks to improve transport and parking facilities in Bishop Auckland.

Esh Construction first commenced a package of enabling works on the site in February this year, with the existing hard surface having to be excavated and cleared to pave the way for the new building. The station is set to open in winter 2025.