Network Rail prepares for year-long road closure in Stockport

Network Rail is expecting work at Greek Street Roundabout in Stockport to result in “as little disruption as possible” to the West Coast Main line when work begins on the site on April 19.

The huge engineering project will involve the roundabout shutting for a whole year whilst restructuring and restrengthening work is carried out with much of the structure replaced. It sits above the WCML however, adding complications to the £20 million project.

Originally built in 1958, the bridge the busy junction sits on has reached the end of its operational life.

The first task for the project team will be to dig up the road which it be doing between April 19-22. But that will be a complicated task according to its project manager Will Brandon.

“The bridge caries utilities like electricity, water, fibre, and sewage which all must be moved and then diverted to the support bridge that we’ve installed. That is a monumental task”

Brandon expects the work to move the utilities to take “around three to four months.”

This work will affect the WCML however, with overhead line equipment (OLE) being altered over the easter period.

Brandon explains this is necessary ahead of the new bridge being put into place in August to minimise disruption.

“We need to do that in advance so we can spot any issues, and it allows us to slot the new bridge into place in a more natural order.” The OLE adjustments will mean that no trains will run through Stockport between April 19-22, however.

The replacement bridge is not a like-for-like replacement. The current bridge is a two-span tension bridge, but a different engineering method will need to be adopted for the new bridge – which is a single span bridge. This will mean that one of Europe’s largest cranes will be used once the new bridge is ready to be slotted into place.

From August 2 to 23 2025, the existing 58-metre-wide bridge—made up of around 200 concrete beams—will be demolished and replaced. Following this, utility lines will be redirected, and the bridge waterproofed and resurfaced to modern standards.

Brandon adds however that the project team has tried to minimise the amount blockades needed for it.

“We’ve always tried to be conscious of how busy the line is but it’s a huge bridge, so closures needed to happen. We’ve tried to minimise that. So, after this closure, we’ve got another 21-day blockade in August for the bridge installation, and we’re also planning another 54-hour blockade in October. At Christmas, we’ll take the temporary support back out.

“The other work, we’ll be doing overnights on Saturday.”

In response to the expected disruption, a series of diversion routes have been carefully planned in coordination with Stockport Council and Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) to keep the town moving.

TfGM has also confirmed changes to local bus routes, with diversions now published to help passengers plan. Danny Vaughan, chief network officer at TfGM, advised residents to stay informed throughout the project. “The closure is now just a week away and we have confirmed diversion routes for buses that usually use Greek Street. These may change due to the nature and length of the works so I would urge everyone to keep themselves up to date by checking the Bee Network website or app before they travel.”