Network Rail has released footage of work to replace a road junction in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Hundreds of engineers – from both Network Rail and its contractor, Murphy – worked on the structure, which stands over the Manchester spur of the West Coast Main Line in Stockport.

They have now completed the first phase of the project.

The railway bridge which carries the large Greek Street roundabout is 67 years old.

Beginning at the end of March, Network Rail arranged for the roundabout and some sections of local roads to be closed to traffic for one year, to enable its replacement.

It then used the Easter weekend as an opportunity to begin demolishing the old structure.

During the four days of the Easter weekend, engineering workers carried out various tasks which prepare for the full programme of replacement work.

The project is costing twenty million pounds, and will reach a key point when workers use cranes to put the new structure into place in August this year.

The weekend’s work included:

• assessment and mapping of overhead lines to enable detailed plans for their removal
• demolition of the bridge parapets and ‘wing walls’ at street level
• removing concrete block work under the bridge
• testing the drilling method which Network Rail plans to use to remove the bridge.

In order for the substantial work to be carried out safely, trains did not run through Stockport during the Easter bank holiday weekend.

The route reopened for passengers today.

Further work on the project will mean road diversions in place throughout 2025, with details available on the project’s webpage.

There will be a further full closure between Saturday 2 and Saturday 23 August. Network Rail’s ‘Strengthening Stockport’ campaign aims to raise awareness of this. There will be not other railway closures relating to this project until the summer.

“This is a hugely complicated project for both road and rail – with one of Stockport’s key traffic roundabouts sitting above one of the busiest railway junctions in Greater Manchester. Our teams worked night and day over Easter and made great progress for future phases of the bridge rebuild, while making sure the railway reopened on time for passengers.

“We couldn’t have done this work without closing the road and railway, and I’d like to thank anyone whose travel plans were impacted by our major work over Easter for their patience. This is all part of our multi-million-pound ‘Strengthening Stockport’ investment to improve this critical infrastructure for decades to come.”

Patrick Vallely, Network Rail Capital Delivery head of buildings and civils