Following the successful installation of a £20 million bridge over the West Coast Main Line this summer, Network Rail and contractor Murphy have announced the next phase of work on the Greek Street bridge project, which will continue through autumn and winter.
The new bridge, which replaces a 67-year-old structure, was installed during a 21-day railway closure in August, involving the removal of 200 concrete beams using two giant crawler cranes with a combined lifting capacity of 1,300 tonnes. The new bridge spans 60 metres, with a concrete deck poured on top, and is expected to last 120 years.
What’s Next:
- Weekend railway closure: On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October 2025, the railway through Stockport will close to allow engineers to remove a redundant wall and begin reinstating the road and roundabout above the bridge.
- Rail replacement buses will operate between Stoke-on-Trent and Manchester, and passengers are advised to plan ahead.
- Further work will take place over Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when the railway is already closed, to maximise progress with minimal disruption.
- Once utility services are diverted from the temporary scaffold bridge into the new structure, the road will be relaid and the roundabout will reopen in Spring 2026.
Network Rail’s project manager, William Brandon, commented:
“I am immensely proud of the team, who worked so hard to deliver this once-in-a-lifetime project over the summer. I am very grateful to the local community and passengers for their ongoing patience and understanding during the work.
“Though the reconstruction of the bridge is complete, there is still more work to do. To safely install parts of the new roundabout, we need to close the railway again for two days. After that, we will begin to work with utility companies to redivert their services though the bridge, before relaying the road ready for people to use again.”
The project is a key part of improving transport infrastructure in Stockport, enhancing both rail reliability and road safety at a major junction in the town centre.
Image credit: Network Rail
