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Friday 5 Jul 2019

Major railway bridge in Manchester city centre to be restored

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers, motorists and residents are being informed about work to carefully restore a railway bridge next to Deansgate station in Manchester city centre.

The Great North Rail Project work will see the Victorian-built bridge deep cleaned, repaired and repainted to ensure it remains safe and reliable for decades to come.

Network Rail is holding a community drop-in event from 4pm – 7pm on Monday 8 July at ManCoCo Limited in Manchester (M15 4GB ), where staff will be on hand to answer any questions about the project.

Sarah Padmore, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “As part of the Great North Rail Project, we are carrying out vital repair work to the bridge spanning Deansgate, immediately west of the station.

“We have been working closely with Manchester City Council on our plans, which will see the structure refreshed for the benefit of passengers and the local community.

“We thank the local community and road users in advance for their patience while we deliver this essential work.”

To complete the work safely, the road beneath the bridge needs to be closed to vehicles from Monday 5 August to Wednesday 18 December. One lane on Hewitt Street, which is next to the bridge, will also be closed for the duration of the project.

Temporary traffic lights will be in place on Hewitt Street and diversion signs put up to direct motorists from one side of the bridge to the other. Access for pedestrians will remain open throughout the work.

Network Rail has written to local residents to inform them about the project and advise when noisy work is planned to take place.

The refurbishment of the bridge at Deansgate is being delivered by the same team who have been working to restore three Grade II listed structures back to their former glory next to Manchester Victoria station.