Bridge restoration due to complete by July end

Network Rail has confirmed the final road closure due to take place in Manchester this weekend, to allow the restoration of three grade two-listed bridges to complete.

The Victorian bridges at Great Ducie Street, outside Manchester Victoria station, are being refurbished and repaired. The project was due to complete last month, however structural defects were found under the 175-year old paintwork.

As part of the project, the bridges have been repainted to their original colour scheme, while rusty steelwork has been treated and forged by specialist blacksmiths in the West Midlands.

To enable the safe removal of equipment used during the repaid process, Victoria Street will be fully closed to road traffic all day on Sunday 14 July.

While traffic diversions will be in place, pedestrian access will not be affected and trains will run as normal.

Sarah Padmore, scheme project manager for Network Rail, said: “Work is nearly complete to refurbish the Great Ducie Street bridges as part of the Great North Rail Project. These upgrades will ensure the bridges remain safe for our passengers, freight customers and road users for decades to come.

“To safely remove temporary concrete traffic barriers installed beneath the bridges, we need to close Victoria Street on Sunday. This will allow us to reopen all three lanes on Victoria Street and the junction of Mirabel Street, which has been closed since our work began in January.”