New bridge hoisted into place at Clayton Vale

A new £165,000 bridge was hoisted into place in Clayton Vale for the first time in 100 years.

This is part of a £2 million environmental improvement programme for the Medlock Valley in east Manchester, a 225 acre (90 hectare) area of public open space alongside the River Medlock. The project was funded by New East Manchester with North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and ERDF grants.

The new Clayton Vale Lane Bridge is similar in style to the original bridge and was designed by Groundwork and Manchester City Council along with CTS, a bridge manufacturer based in Huddersfield and weighs 14 tonnes, is 10 metres long and 4 metres wide and took 10 weeks to build and four hours to be put in place.

Sean McGonigle, Director of Regeneration for New East Manchester said: "The old bridge was beyond repair so it's fantastic to have the funding for a new one which we hope will last another 100 years and beyond. This bridge helps improve access to this important green lung benefiting local communities and attracting visitors and will allow the strong links between the Newton Heath and Clayton communities to be maintained."

Jo Fraser, Groundwork's Medlock Valley Project Officer said: "It's out with the old and in with the new. The bridge has always been called the Iron Bridge by local people. As the new design reflects the area's industrial past I'm sure it will continue to be known as such."

John Carroll from Friends of Clayton Vale added: "This isn't the bridge too far but the bridge over the River Med. I think all the improvements are fantastic. Father Christmas came early on the Vale."

For more information on New East Manchester visit http://www.neweastmanchester.com/

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