BRIDGEWATER SWING AQUEDUCT TO CLOSE IN MARCH FOR ESSENTIAL REPAIRS

Bartons world famous, 'one of a kind' swing Aqueduct is to be closed to navigation due to essential and long overdue maintenance work.

The aqueduct, the first and only swing aqueduct in the world, is a Grade II listed building, and is considered a marvel of Victorian civil engineering.

The construction was completed in 1893, with the first coal barges crossing not long after, as they took their loads to fuel the industrial revolution in Manchester.

We did a video on the condition of the bridges back in March 2021

The navigation will be be closed from 7:30am on the morning of Monday 6th March,  until Monday 20th of March, when it is expected to reopen at around 4:00pm.

However, due to the nature of the work the Peel say that they cannot guarantee completion on the published date. 

The Bridgewater Canal Company, part of Peel L&P, along with both Salford City Council and Trafford Council, is aiming to reinstate the towpath along the Barton Swing Aqueduct, reconnecting the Bridgewater Way.

Drone footage of both the Aqueduct and the Swing Bridge

The project focuses on improving pedestrian and cycling connectivity, providing safe access over the Manchester Ship Canal, completing the next phase of the Bridgewater Way.

The proposals have also been designed to provide a Disability Discrimination Act [DDA] compliant route.

The designs have been created with safety front of mind, including discreet lighting within the railings and appropriate landscaping.

If the plans are approved, people will be able to walk and cycle along a 20-mile stretch of the canal from Wigan through Salford and Manchester to Trafford. Work is forecast to start by winter 2021.