Robin757
Do a search for Manchester Airport Transformation Programme (MANTP) for more information. The first part of the Terminal 2 expansion project opens in April 2019 when Pier 1 is commissioned. The Terminal 2 extension will not however open until 2020.
As far as your "up and down" experience is concerned this is out of the airport's control. Originally both arriving and departing passengers could mingle within the pier system. Legislation now requires that they be segregated, hence the convoluted routing - the Terminal was nitvdesigned for that style of operation.