A NEW footbridge will be installed at Cheshire Oaks this weekend improving accessibility to the retail park in Ellesmere Port.

Linking the north of the site with Hylton Court and Thornton Road, bosses say it will benefit the 2,600 employees who work at the centre and encourage more shoppers to discover the town.

The move is said to be a milestone in the phased £40 million expansion of the park which started construction in February this year.

Already the largest designer outlet in the UK with over 145 stores, it will introduce an additional 25 new fashion, food and drink brands, as well as new facilities such as a children’s play zone, expanded community space, Changing Places facility and a new decked car park facility that partially opened in July and is set to open in full by mid-October.

The expansion will also create over 300 new jobs for the local community, maintaining its position as the principal employer in Ellesmere Port.

Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet’s appointed construction partner, Mace Group will be managing the installation of the new footbridge, starting at 4pm on Sunday, September 9, through to completion at 3am on Monday, September 10.

An exclusion zone will be set up by MACE Group, where individuals can view the installation safely.

Once the bridge has been installed, Mace Group will commence the construction of new footpaths and complete some additional works to the bridge, with the footbridge scheduled to be open and operational in October 2018.

Kenny Murray, Centre Manager of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Cheshire Oaks, said: “This is a landmark moment for our latest expansion and demonstrates our ambition to support the local community by creating better connectivity between Cheshire Oaks and Ellesmere Port town.

“With a phased completion starting this Autumn, we look forward to introducing exciting new brands and facilities for the eight million shoppers who visit us every year over the coming months, as well as hundreds of new jobs.”

Neil Hennessey, Regional Director of Mace Group said: “The safety of the centre’s staff and visitors, as well as the area’s local residents is our number one priority and we ask that during this installation onlookers respect the exclusion zone.”