Greek Street bridge replacement Stockport

[The Planner]

Does anyone the details of the Christmas closure? Or point me to a link?

Xmas Day and Boxing Day only.

 

[Cletus]

Xmas Day and Boxing Day only.

Thanks. That's helpful for me

 

[Cricketer8for9]

But that has been discussed in previous posts and locals are saying its a small inconvenience. Repeating it doesn't make it true.

Because if you remove road capacity the traffic magically disappears.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

Because if you remove road capacity the traffic magically disappears.

Actually it does, as least in part. The reverse of if you build a road it not only eases current traffic but attracts new journeys too. So if you were to 'create' congestion some people would simply not travel as much. For example one trip to the shops by car instead of two.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Because if you remove road capacity the traffic magically disappears.

In the case of the missing roundabout atop the Greek Street bridge, the bus, car and van traffic does not disappear. but is diverted to the right along the narrow Booth Street, then a right-turn along Shaw Heath, then a left-turn along Longshut Lane to its junction with the A6 (Wellington Street).

 

[CHAPS2034]

Thank you for these. Disappointing to see that the central pier is still in place, despite the visualisation video suggesting that it would be removed. Are the columns still supporting the bridge structure, I wonder?

Having travelled a couple of times under the bridge, I think all the columns are still there - maybe one or two are missing, but they are all truncated and none of them are supporting the bridge deck. Some of the concrete panels between the columns are also still in place, as is the base.

 

[furnessvale]

In the case of the missing roundabout atop the Greek Street bridge, the bus, car and van traffic does not disappear. but is diverted to the right along the narrow Booth Street, then a right-turn along Shaw Heath, then a left-turn along Longshut Lane to its junction with the A6 (Wellington Street).

Not every journey needs to make such a direct diversion.

In my own case, coming from the Buxton direction, I can divert long before the problem using Marple Rd, St Marys Way and even the M60. I am sure many longer distance car journeys do similar moves.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Not every journey needs to make such a direct diversion.

In my own case, coming from the Buxton direction, I can divert long before the problem using Marple Rd, St Marys Way and even the M60. I am sure many longer distance car journeys do similar moves.

The problem more affects the traffic coming into Stockport from the other direction to the one you describe, the one that passes through Edgeley.

 

[py_megapixel]

The problem more affects the traffic coming into Stockport from the other direction to the one you describe, the one that passes through Edgeley.

It mostly affects traffic coming from Edgeley, specifically. Anything coming from further afield that needs to reach Stockport centre can divert through Cheadle Heath and down past the Pyramid building.

 

[CHAPS2034]

You ask if a recent journey was disrupted and the answer to that comment was a missing 368 service which caused me to be late for a podiatry appointment some weeks ago, which I reported to TfGM.

Having used buses into Stockport from the south and west regularly over the last 15 years ago, missing services happen all the time for many reasons, such as mechanical failure, no driver or being delayed by a road traffic accident for example. Are you saying you know definitively that your missing bus was down to disruption caused by the Greek St project?

 

[Nottingham59]

Are you saying you know definitively that your missing bus was down to disruption caused by the Greek St project?

It seems tome as an outside observer to be a reasonable assumption

 

[CHAPS2034]

It seems tome as an outside observer to be a reasonable assumption

See my earlier comments about buses and the reasons that their diagrams can be disrupted and missing at any time (and in any part of the country), even when there is no rail infrastructure works causing diversions.

 

[furnessvale]

The problem more affects the traffic coming into Stockport from the other direction to the one you describe, the one that passes through Edgeley.

Exactly my point. Traffic like me, that would use that route, eg going to Pets at Home, will divert long before Greek St, thereby easing the strain on the immediate diversions close to the closed roundabout.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Exactly my point. Traffic like me, that would use that route, eg going to Pets at Home, will divert long before Greek St, thereby easing the strain on the immediate diversions close to the closed roundabout.

I did notice that traffic heading towards Edgeley on Bird Hall Lane towards the Morrisons roundabout now has a large sign advising HGV traffic for Stockport to turn left on Edgeley Road and proceed via Cheadle Heath.

 

[CHAPS2034]

There was a 12 hour block on services through Stockport overnight 30/31 August.

Was this connected with the Greek St works, or was it something else?

I don't recall seeing it being announced as part of that project.

 

[Rail Ranger]

The block was as far as Congleton so other work must have been carried out.

 

[The Planner]

There was a 12 hour block on services through Stockport overnight 30/31 August.

Was this connected with the Greek St works, or was it something else?

I don't recall seeing it being announced as part of that project.

Heaton Norris follow up tamp and some work at Macclesfield station.

 

[DarloRich]

some work at Macclesfield station.

I was at Macc this weekend for the football ( sigh) lots of nice new track and ballast in the station area.

 

[CHAPS2034]

Heaton Norris follow up tamp and some work at Macclesfield station.

Thanks

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The next blockade at Stockport, Sat 4th / Sun 5th Oct, will see the removal of the redundant central pillars of the old bridge according to local media reports. Regret can't do link as on mobile.

 

[Oxfordblues]

Slightly off-topic, but could anyone advise if there are any plans to finally replace the five signalboxes at Stockport? (Last discussed in 2021)

 

[Rail Ranger]

Network Rail media release on the 4th and 5th October blockade at Stockport for work on the Greek Street bridge: https://www.networkrailmediacentre....t-for-the-greek-street-railway-bridge-rebuild
The road ahead: what’s next for the Greek Street railway bridge rebuild?

 

[The Planner]

Slightly off-topic, but could anyone advise if there are any plans to finally replace the five signalboxes at Stockport? (Last discussed in 2021)

None

 

[Rail Ranger]

I understand that the replacement of the Ansaldo signalling between Cheadle Hulme and north of Crewe is a higher priority.

 

[AndrewE]

I understand that the replacement of the Ansaldo signalling between Cheadle Hulme and north of Crewe is a higher priority.

Goodness! (Other stronger expletives are appropriate!) Railtrack certainly messed up that procurement, but I didn't know it was that bad.

Will the old manual signal boxes be the lowest tech on such an important line anywhere in the UK? Suitable for a new thread, or has it been covered elsewhere, which seems likely?

 

[jfollows]

Goodness! (Other stronger expletives are appropriate!) Railtrack certainly messed up that procurement, but I didn't know it was that bad.

It completely failed for days a few years ago (https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/crewe-delays-16-sep.209188/) whereas all the Stockport area boxes were working fine.
When it works (most of the time!) it’s very useful for its bidirectional capability which is used as a matter of course when necessary, of course this might be because another part of the system has failed.
Presumably it also has a high maintenance cost which replacement might overcome.

 

[The Planner]

I understand that the replacement of the Ansaldo signalling between Cheadle Hulme and north of Crewe is a higher priority.

Being done in a couple of years time.

 

[yorkie]

Reopened to enable @CHAPS2034 to post an update

 

[CHAPS2034]

Thanks to Yorkie for reopening the thread

The Manchester Evening News are reporting that NR have reported that the road bridge will reopen 'on time' towards the end of March, exact date to be confirmed

https://www.manchestereveningnews.c...-news/its-been-chaos-stockports-year-33483669?

It's been chaos, but Stockport's year of disruption is about to end

A major project is coming to an end

It has caused 12 months of disruption and diversion, but Stockport’s Greek Street bridge is finally set to reopen soon as a mammoth £20m project comes close to completion. The roundabout closed in March 2025 so Network Rail engineers could replace the ageing bridge, first built in 1958, which runs over the West Coast Main Line.

Around 200 concrete beams held together the former structure which was demolished along with the road above it before being rebuilt. The work led to closures on surrounding roads including Greek Street and Mercian Way, with the roundabout being a key interchange which connects Stockport town centre, Edgeley, and Shaw Heath, and is near to numerous shops along Castle Street.

Trains have also been impacted during periods of the work when services couldn’t pass through Stockport. The bridge replacement was described by Edgeley councillor Matt Wynne in 2024 as ‘the most significant civil engineering project that we've seen in this borough in the central Stockport area since the M60 was built.’

Network Rail has confirmed the works are on track to be finished by late March, with a specific date to be announced closer to the time.

Coun Caton added that the works have ‘not been as disruptive as expected’, but said some streets in Edgeley have suffered from ‘rat runs’ and heavy traffic.

He said: “Chatham Street and York Street have been battered by traffic because the roundabout has been closed, and are now covered in pot holes and damaged kerbs.”

Network Rail said the bridge replacement has been ‘carefully planned’ to make sure train services running along the tracks can continue to run reliably for years to come, with the new structure in place set to last for 120 years.

Chaos maybe in the initial stages, but seems to have settled down after the first month or two.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Thank heavens that the end of this month will see the Greek Street roundabout back in operation after the 12-month total closure of it will end, letting the road traffic once again see the benefit on the four main roads that it serves.

The actual time period of disruption to rail traffic has been minuscule in comparison to the actual number of road traffic days of closure.