THERE ARE now eighteen viaducts, roadbridges and footbridges over the River Irwell in the mile and a half between Regent Road in the south and Trinity Way in the north close to the Manchester Arena.
This is the third of five new proposed bridge connections across the Irwell
On Sunday a 44m footbridge linking Salford to Manchester was hauled into place over the River Irwell using a 1,000 tonne crane and state-of-the-art lifting equipment.
Funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Allied London, the lead developer and Salford City Council, the new footbridge is the latest part of the Irwell River Park Programme, providing a direct gateway between the New Bailey area of Salford Central and Spinningfields in Manchester.
When completed, the bridge will launch from Leftbank in Spinningfields and sweep over the River Irwell before landing close to the Mark Addy pub on Stanley Street in Salford.
Stanley Street will benefit from improvements including new lighting and paving, creating a new riverside routeway that will link across New Bailey Street, towards Chapel Wharf. The New Bailey development will also establish an onward link to the revitalised Salford Central train station.
Improvement works will continue on Stanley Street over the coming months, with the bridge due to open to the public in spring 2012.
Councillor John Merry CBE, Leader of Salford City Council said: “It is always exciting when we are so near to completing a new landmark for the city. More importantly, this new bridge will unlock the economic potential of this area of Salford, setting the scene for further jobs, ready to develop much needed business and commercial space in New Bailey.”
Sir Howard Bernstein, Vice Chair of the North West European Regional Development Fund Local Management Committee said; "This vital piece of infrastructure will make an important contribution to economic growth in Salford and Spinningfields - the benefits will be felt by local people and businesses."
Michael Ingall, Chief Executive, Allied London Properties Limited, said: “Despite challenging economic conditions, we are committed to the continued evolution of Spinningfields and the completion of this new footbridge is testament to the determination of all parties involved to see this project delivered. Now the bridge is complete, we intend to announce our next phase of development for this part of Spinningfields, with proposals for a very unique scheme released by early spring.”
This is the third of five new proposed bridge connections across the Irwell and is a piece in the Irwell River Park jigsaw that will transform the day to day workings of Salford, Manchester and Trafford’s unique waterway.
Irwell River Park is a £72 million programme of investment along the Irwell Corridor led by Salford City Council, in partnership with Manchester City Council, Trafford Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA).
For more information on Irwell River Park visit www.irwellriverpark.com
