Stockport bridge marks milestone ahead of rail reopening
Engineers will pour 500 cubic metres of concrete on Friday to complete the deck of the new Greek Street bridge — a key step before trains resume running through Stockport.
A major milestone is being reached in Stockport this week as engineers carry out the final concrete pour on the new Greek Street railway bridge — paving the way for trains to resume running through the town from Saturday 23 August.
On Friday morning, 500 cubic metres of concrete will be poured to form the deck of the new bridge, marking the final phase of a £20 million replacement project that has seen the railway closed for three weeks. The work is part of a wider £43 million investment across the North West, including upgrades to track, overhead lines and station infrastructure.
The bridge, which sits on the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line, was originally built in 1958 and had reached the end of its life. Over the past 20 days, around 100 engineers a day have dismantled the old structure and installed new concrete and steel beams designed to last 120 years.
When complete it will mean more reliable journeys for passenger and freight traffic on the railway below - and for road users above - as normally it carries a four-way roundabout.
William Brandon, Network Rail’s project manager, said: “The work at Greek Street has been planned meticulously, and its great to see it all come together on site as we expected. I’m so grateful to everyone working so hard on the project
“Once the railway reopens, journeys for passengers will be safer and more reliable for the next 120 years. This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve the West Coast Main Line for future generations. I'd like to thank local people for their patience while the project continues, and to passengers whose journeys have been affected over the last few weeks.”
Stephen Harnett, Murphy project manager, said: “It’s immensely rewarding to complete this core milestone of the project. The effort put in by our team has been nothing short of amazing as they work around the clock to upgrade and return this critical piece of infrastructure to the local community.”
Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast station manager at Stockport, said: “It’s great to see the work to Greek Street bridge is progressing nicely, as the project reaches this latest milestone. We’d like to thank our customers for their continued patience and understanding while the West Coast Main Line is closed and remind those who are making journeys up to and including 22 August to plan ahead, check the National Rail website before travelling, and leave plenty of time.”
Cllr Grace Baynham, Cabinet Member of Parks, Highways and Transport Services, said: "We’re continuing to work closely with our partners to support our local residents and businesses every step of the way as Network Rail delivers the essential improvements Stockport needs.
“I want to thank residents and businesses for their continued patience and resilience - we know it hasn’t been easy, but the way people have responded to the disruption so far really shows the strength of our community."