‘An enormous feat’
Time-lapse footage reveals how a serious railway bridge – and landmark roundabout – was painstakingly eliminated and changed over the course of a yr.
The Greek Street bridge carries visitors over the West Coast mainline, the busiest combined use rail line in Europe, subsequent to Stockport station.
The four-way roundabout on high guides visitors round Stockport town centre, Shaw Heath and Edgeley.
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Built in 1958, it is maintained by Network Rail. Bosses mentioned the previous bridge had ‘reached the finish of its life’ and {that a} new one was urgently wanted.
“The work was required to ensure the long‑term safety and reliability of the bridge and could not be delayed,” they mentioned.
Last March, engineers started dismantling, demolishing and changing the overpass. The £20m project was the biggest in the borough since the building of the M60 motorway and one of the most advanced tackled by railway bosses in latest years.
Utilities pipes have been eliminated and re-routed, earlier than the previous highway was dug up. A complete of 200 concrete beams from the previous bridge have been eliminated and brought away by a fleet of 67 HGVs.
The new bridge is made up of 51 components. Due to their dimension and weight, 18 sections of the new construction needed to be introduced in by police escort over a four-day interval with visitors lights and road furnishings faraway from a junction.
The new sections have been then lifted into place over the cavernous 60 metre hole the place the previous bridge was by two trawler cranes. The railway line beneath was shut for 3 weeks final August throughout the epic enterprise.
Since then consultants have been reinstalling utilities pipes and building the new highway and roundabout. The work, carried out by contractor Murphy, has now finished.
On Thursday (March 26), pupils from native colleges St Matthew’s and Our Lady’s got highway security classes on the website. Bosses concerned in the project and native dignitaries attended a reopening ceremony forward of the highway being reopened to visitors after rush hour.
Time-lapse footage condenses a yr’s-worth of work into underneath two minutes. Network Rail says the new bridge has ‘secured each the highway above and railway beneath for the subsequent 120 years’.
Jamie Rothwell, transportation managing director at contractor Murphy, mentioned: “This project is testament to the expertise and collaboration between the Murphy and Network Rail team, and our supply chain partners, who all worked together to realise this complex and critical upgrade.
“We are grateful for the help obtained by the local people while we’ve been on website and are happy to have the ability to hand again this improved and future-proofed construction which is able to serve the local people for a few years to return.”
Patrick Vallely, Network Rail’s capital supply head of buildings and civils, mentioned: “Seeing visitors operating easily as soon as extra at Greek Street is a proud second for us all who’ve been engaged on this project for a few years.
“Replacing Greek Street bridge was a massive feat of civil engineering which has impacted people right across Stockport for over a year, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone for bearing with us. This essential project now secures the future of this structure and will provide a safe and reliable road and railway network for decades to come.”
As half of the work, new pedestrian routes have been added and the bridge has been ‘future-proofed’ by incorporating the potential for or potential tram-train choices, as half of the imaginative and prescient to deliver the Metrolink to the city. The much-loved unique ‘Edgeley Station’ mosaic was additionally retained and reinstalled.
The chief of Stockport council, Mark Roberts, mentioned: “The reopening of Greek Street Bridge marks a extremely essential second for Stockport.
“Not solely will it restore a key route for residents, commuters and companies, however it additionally strengthens the foundations we’re placing in place for the borough’s future.
“Reopening the road is another step forward in our wider transport vision for Stockport. It supports our long term‑ ambitions for Metrolink and the improved connectivity it will bring.
“We’re dedicated to building a transport community that works for everybody, and this milestone brings us nearer to reaching that.”
