One of the country’s most iconic viaducts is partway through a £1 million scheme which is returning the structure to its former glory.

In 1840, over 600 builders constructed the Stockport viaduct, which sits on the line between Manchester Piccadilly and the West Coast Main Line.

At present, it carries 398 trains per day. The structure is 34 metres tall by 550 metres wide. Twenty-six arches comprise the viaduct, and its construction required over 11 million bricks.

The grade II listed viaduct has witnessed many changes during its 185-year history, most notably the growth and expansion of the town of Stockport, which surrounds the structure.

Network Rail started the project to restore the viaduct last year, and work has been progressing well while services have remained running largely undisturbed. So far, workers have removed all vegetation and graffiti, and they have repaired numerous bricks on 23 of the 26 arches.

With the M60 motorway now passing underneath the remaining arches yet to be restored, the motorway will need to be closed in both directions for 13 consecutive nights from Monday 17 February – Sunday 2 March 2025 between the hours of 10 pm and 6 am.

This will allow Network Rail to work on the remaining arches from abseils suspended from the viaduct above the carriageways.

Motorists are advised to follow the diversion signs during the night time closures between Junction 27 and Junction 1.

“Stockport Viaduct is an important piece of cultural heritage for the railway and the Stockport community. We are proud to be responsible for its upkeep.

The final stage of the project will take place this February, as we want to make sure the night time road closure causes as little inconvenience as possible for the people of Stockport.

The recent work means the overall appearance of the viaduct is much improved, but it also reduces the risk of damage caused by overgrown vegetation and graffiti.

Managing plant growth on viaducts such as this is important in maintaining train performance as trees and shrubs can obscure signals and interfere with the overhead lines that power trains.”

Rob Stephens, principal route engineer for the North West route

Back in 2022 Network Rail carried out corrosion prevention work on the near by Reddish Vale viaduct, following a inspection which revealed that the riverbed of the River Tame had shifted, causing damage to the foundations of particular structure.