Castlefield Viaduct repairs to go before planners
Engineer Jacobs, acting for site owner Historical Railways Estate, has applied for planning permission and listed building consent to carry out a programme of repair and clean-up works at one of Manchester’s most recognisable heritage structures.
Department for Transport funding is being sought for the project. Existing transverse drainage channels were removed in 2015 due to health and safety concerns, resulting in excessive water falling to the ground from the eight-span structure.
Should works be approved and funded, the repair project will enable the installation of new drainage channels and replacement downpipe systems. Work will also be undertaken to clear vegetation and debris from the structure, remove loose materials and repair brickwork. The proposals from Jacobs cover a 25-year design life.
The site is a disused railway viaduct carrying the trackbed of the former Manchester Central-Cornbrook-Allerton railway. The structure is grade two-listed and spans parts of the Bridgewater and Rochdale canal basins, the Manchester Oxford Road to Liverpool via Earlestown railway, Duke Street and Castle Street.
Funded by government, the Historical Railways Estate has a remit from the DfT to maintain a number of disused railway structures around the UK.
Fantastic, brilliant news.
By T
So glad this is the plan.
Surely long term this has to be turned into a Linear park, like a small version of the Highline in New York.
It could link St Georges island and all the new Resi beyond with the bottom end of Deansagate.
I bet the idea has been floated before – we need to put a use to make the most of this asset which will presumably never take rail again.
By Optimist