‘A massive feat’
Stockport: Greek Street roundabout reopens after £20m upgrade
Time-lapse footage shows how a major railway bridge – and landmark roundabout – was painstakingly removed and replaced over the course of a year.
The Greek Street bridge carries traffic over the West Coast mainline, the busiest mixed use rail line in Europe, next to Stockport station.
The four-way roundabout on top guides traffic around Stockport town centre, Shaw Heath and Edgeley.
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Built in 1958, it is maintained by Network Rail. Bosses said the old bridge had ‘reached the end of its life’ and that a new one was urgently needed.
“The work was required to ensure the long‑term safety and reliability of the bridge and could not be delayed,” they said.
Last March, engineers began dismantling, demolishing and replacing the overpass. The £20m project was the biggest in the borough since the construction of the M60 motorway and one of the most complex tackled by railway bosses in recent years.
The new roundabout on the new Greek Street bridge(Image: Network Rail)
Utilities pipes were removed and re-routed, before the old road was dug up. A total of 200 concrete beams from the old bridge were removed and taken away by a fleet of 67 HGVs.
The new bridge is made up of 51 parts. Due to their size and weight, 18 sections of the new structure had to be brought in by police escort over a four-day period with traffic lights and street furniture removed from a junction.
The bridge beams being lowered into position last August(Image: Network Rail)
The new sections were then lifted into place over the cavernous 60 metre gap where the old bridge used to be by two trawler cranes. The railway line below was shut for three weeks last August during the epic undertaking.
Since then experts have been reinstalling utilities pipes and building the new road and roundabout. The work, carried out by contractor Murphy, has now finished.
On Thursday (March 26), pupils from local schools St Matthew’s and Our Lady’s were given road safety lessons on the site. Bosses involved in the project and local dignitaries attended a reopening ceremony ahead of the road being reopened to traffic after rush hour.
Workers on the railway line during the three week closure last summer(Image: Network Rail)
Time-lapse footage condenses a year’s-worth of work into under two minutes. Network Rail says the new bridge has ‘secured both the road above and railway below for the next 120 years’.
Jamie Rothwell, transportation managing director at contractor Murphy, said: “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 support received by the local community whilst we have been on site and are pleased to be able to hand back this improved and future-proofed structure which will serve the local community for many years to come.”
The new road surface being installed(Image: Network Rail)
Patrick Vallely, Network Rail’s capital delivery head of buildings and civils, said: “Seeing traffic running smoothly once more at Greek Street is a proud moment for us all who’ve been working on this project for many 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 part 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 options, as part of the vision to bring the Metrolink to the town. The much-loved original ‘Edgeley Station’ mosaic was also retained and reinstalled.
The original ‘Edgeley Station’ mosaic was retained(Image: Network Rail)
The leader of Stockport council, Mark Roberts, said: “The reopening of Greek Street Bridge marks a really important moment for Stockport.
“Not only will it restore a key route for residents, commuters and businesses, but it also strengthens the foundations we’re putting in place for the borough’s future.
Network Rail’s John Dixon and MP Nav Mishra with the project team(Image: Network Rail)
“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 committed to building a transport network that works for everyone, and this milestone brings us closer to achieving that.”
