Bridge linking Wythenshawe and Manchester Airport installed
52 metre, 380 tonne bridge installed linking local people by foot or bicycle to airport at a cost of £6m.
A giant foot and cycle bridge linking Wythenshawe to the Manchester Airport campus was installed this weekend.
The 380-tonne structure spans the M56 spur airport approach road and its installation marks a major milestone for the Airport City Manchester project, which will deliver more than 15,000 jobs in the years to come.
Costing £6m, it was rolled into position overnight by a specialist team of eight people using two 800 tonne, 20 axle, self-propelled modular transporters.
The bridge – part-funded by Manchester City Council – will serve as a valuable pedestrian and cycle link between the Woodhouse Park area of Wythenshawe and the airport site, benefitting the thousands of local people who work there.
It will also provide direct access to the employment opportunities being created by Airport City Manchester, as well as enabling people to walk or cycle to the airport’s train, tram and bus station.
The bridge was fabricated by Cleveland Bridges who, working closely with main contractor BCEGi, were also responsible for undertaking the complex 12-hour installation.
There are around 25,000 people working on the Manchester Airport site. It also has its Airport Academy training centre within its Ground Transport Interchange, which provides employment and training for local unemployed people. Earlier in the year, a state-of-the-art AeroZone interactive classroom opened, which will be used by all schools in Woodhouse Park and the wider Wythenshawe area.
Brad Miller, Chief Operating Officer at Manchester Airport, said:
“Manchester Airport is proud of the role it plays in providing employment for so many local people, either directly or with the dozens of different companies that operate on our site.
“This new bridge will give those living in surrounding neighbourhoods a safe and sustainable way to travel to the airport campus, whether they work here, are using our Ground Transport Interchange or are accessing other facilities like our new AeroZone education centre or Airport Academy training hub.
“As excitement builds around the Airport City vision becoming a reality in the months ahead, this link will help give local people the best possible access to the opportunities being created.”
Work on Airport City Manchester’s new £180 million hotel district is also gathering pace, where three new hotels and 1,500 new beds will be delivered by 2022.
The brand new bridge at Airport City Manchester is set to open to the public in November this year and when fully complete will blend into the neighbouring buildings with extensive landscaping and public realm, as well as providing feature ramps and passenger lifts to ensure it is accessible to all.