£23M motorway bridge officially unveiled in this Greater Manchester area
A new £23 million bridge has been unveiled in Greater Manchester, marking the eagerly anticipated completion of a three-year scheme.
National Highways and its partners celebrated the opening of St Anne’s Road motorway bridge in Denton with a ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by four pupils from the neighbouring St Anne’s Primary School, accompanied by the Reverend Philip Brierley from St Anne’s Church, who also led a short blessing of the bridge.
The new structure, which crosses the M67, will provide unrestricted access for all road users and pedestrians, including improved eastbound access to the motorway.
National Highways Project Manager Mangat Bansal said: “It has been a privilege to deliver this scheme and work with the local community. Replacing the motorway bridge is the culmination of a lot of hard work, presenting unique engineering challenges with the bridge carrying vital utility services including water, gas, electricity and telecommunications to customers across a wide part of Greater Manchester.
“We thank the local community for their patience and understanding whilst the bridge has been closed for construction.”
Joining the youngsters at the official opening were the project team, civic dignitaries, school staff and invited guests.
National Highways worked in partnership with Tilbury Douglas to deliver the scheme.
Carlos Garcia Ferrer, Project Director at Tilbury Douglas, said: “This has been a great scheme to deliver. All those involved in the project, including our teams, supply chain partners and contractors have showcased a high level of technical expertise throughout and can be proud of their achievement.
“A measure of their professionalism is the attainment of ‘Excellent’ ratings in recent successive Considerate Constructors Scheme results, leaving a lasting positive legacy through their community engagement initiatives, working with local schools, offering learning opportunities through the national Open Doors initiative and supporting numerous organisations, charities and community groups.”
The decision to replace the original St Anne’s Road bridge was taken after assessments showed the ageing structure required extensive repairs. Replacement was identified as the safest, most practical and cost-effective solution.
As well as meeting modern safety standards, the new bridge will improve journey reliability locally and on the M67 by reducing the need for unplanned maintenance closures. It can also accommodate heavy vehicles, removing previous load restrictions, while new barriers and improved facilities enhance safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians.
With the opening of the new bridge, the former St Anne’s Road diversion route via the road by the former Penny Farthing pub has now closed to traffic.
Further details about the project can be found here