Huge concrete components destined to form a new £20 million railway bridge and roundabout in Stockport are now making their way across the Irish Sea, in preparation for the project’s main construction phase, due to begin in just four days.
Network Rail and engineers from its contractor Murphy are gearing up for a meticulously planned three-week window, during which the Greek Street bridge will be dismantled and rebuilt. This intensive period of work will commence this Saturday, 2nd August, and necessitate a rare 21-day railway closure of a 50-mile stretch of the West Coast Main Line, lasting until the morning of Saturday, 23rd August.
Ahead of the significant railway closure, behind-the-scenes footage released today, Tuesday 29th July, has shown how the bridge components have been manufactured and rigorously tested over recent months at a vast production site in Ireland. Drone footage captured a specially sequenced trial assembly, essentially a “dress rehearsal” to ensure a smooth installation process in Stockport.
With all trial assemblies now complete, the bridge components are being transported on 40 lorries and low-loaders, travelling by ferry from Dublin to Liverpool, and then by road to Greater Manchester. Some sections of the bridge are being stored near Trafford Park, while others will arrive directly on site in special convoys, ready to be immediately craned into position. The construction involves large cranes and careful choreography to tight timescales, making the learning derived from the tests in Ireland absolutely vital.
William Brandon, Network Rail scheme project manager, said: “After years of planning we’re excited that this weekend all our preparations will be put into action, so we can successfully rebuild Greek Street railway bridge and improve both the road and rail network for the future for both road users and passengers. Once again I’d urge people to check National Rail Enquiries if planning to travel between 2-23 August while the railway through Stockport is totally closed so we can safely carry out our major railway bridge upgrade.”
Paul Williams, Murphy senior engineering manager, said: “Completing the construction ‘dress rehearsal’ enabled us to fully test our installation methodology prior to installing the new Greek Street bridge for real. As a result of this test, we changed the sequence in which we’ll crane the sections into position in order to maximise the efficiency of our works during the closure. We look forward to completing these upgrades and improving transport links across the area.”
In addition to the £20 million investment to replace the Greek Street railway bridge, Network Rail is utilising this rare railway closure to carry out an additional £23 million of further improvements to the West Coast Main Line between Stafford and Stockport. Given the significant changes to journeys this will entail for rail passengers across a large geographical area, people are strongly advised to check National Rail Enquiries to plan their individual journeys.
Network Rail has worked extremely closely with train operators, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and Stockport Council to arrange travel alternatives to keep people moving during the three-week railway closure.
Lisa Magee, Avanti West Coast station manager at Stockport, said: “While there’ll be no trains to or from Stockport for 21 days, the station’s ticket office and underpass will be open as normal during this period and the Avanti West Coast team will be on hand to support those making journeys via rail replacement bus. We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while this major work takes place. We strongly advise customers to plan ahead, leave extra time for their journeys, and check the National Rail website, as well as with their train operator for the latest updates.”
Stephen Rhodes, TfGM’s director of bus, said: “The replacement of the Greek Street bridge is a once in a lifetime moment to ensure the safety of road and rail users for generations to come. With a project of this scale there will always be disruption and by working closely with our partners we are looking to minimise this as much as we can and keep everyone on the move. When the rail line is closed in August we’ll be accepting rail tickets on Bee Network buses in the area to help reduce the impact of the closure and make sure people can get where they need to be.”
Cllr Mark Roberts, Leader of Stockport Council, said: “We’re now approaching a major milestone in the Greek Street Bridge project with the upcoming rail closure, and 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. Network Rail are making real progress, and we all want to reiterate that Edgeley and wider Stockport is open for business. We’ll continue to work closely with and support our local residents and businesses every step of the way as Network Rail delivers the improvements Stockport needs.”
During the recent site visit to the manufacturing facility, located 35 miles north-east of Dublin, Network Rail project engineers also observed the construction of the street-facing sides of the bridge, including the area where a replica of the much-admired Edgeley Station mosaic will be recreated.
Once the new railway bridge is installed and the West Coast Main Line reopens, work will then shift to the reconstruction of the Greek Street roundabout and the relaying of surrounding roads. This final phase of work is expected to continue until early 2026. For more details on the Greek Street project, please visit www.networkrail.co.uk/greekstreet.
