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Tuesday 30 Jul 2019

Reminder of major railway bridge restoration in Manchester city centre

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers, motorists and residents are being reminded 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 Grade II listed Victorian-built bridge deep cleaned, repaired and repainted to ensure it remains safe and reliable for decades to come.

From Saturday 3 August until December, the end sections of Deansgate station’s platforms, which sit on top of the bridge being refurbished, will be closed to allow engineers to access the structure. The work has been planned to keep passengers moving throughout the project and allow trains to continue stopping at Deansgate station.

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 Northern and Manchester City Council on our plans, which will see the structure improved for the benefit of passengers and the local community.

“We thank passengers, 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 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 which has been working to restore three Grade II listed structures to their former glory next to Manchester Victoria station.