Barton Road Swing Bridge
Encyclopedia
Barton Road Swing Bridge is a swing bridge
that crosses the Manchester Ship Canal
in Greater Manchester
. It connects the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford
with the City of Salford
, and carries the B5211 road. The bridge is a Grade II* listed building.
and, in 1946, concern was expressed in parliament over the closing of the bridge to road traffic at peak times. A cargo vessel struck the bridge on 28 December 1948, restricting the bridge to single-line working and a two ton weight limit, until repairs had been completed. The bridge was closed between 18 August 2008 and 18 January 2009 to enable the replacement of electricity cabling.
. The two bridges are controlled from a brick-built valve house, on an island in the centre of the ship canal. The island supports the pivot points for the rotating structures. When in the open positions, the aqueduct and road bridge line up along the length of the island, allowing ships to traverse along each side of the ship canal.
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
that crosses the Manchester Ship Canal
Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is a river navigation 36 miles long in the North West of England. Starting at the Mersey Estuary near Liverpool, it generally follows the original routes of the rivers Mersey and Irwell through the historic counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Several sets of locks lift...
in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. It connects the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford
Trafford
The Metropolitan Borough of Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It has a population of 211,800, covers , and includes the towns of Altrincham, Partington, Sale, Stretford, and Urmston...
with the City of Salford
City of Salford
The City of Salford is a city and metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It is named after its largest settlement, Salford, but covers a far larger area which includes the towns of Eccles, Swinton-Pendlebury, Walkden and Irlam which apart from Irlam each have a population of over...
, and carries the B5211 road. The bridge is a Grade II* listed building.
History
The bridge is an important link for the workers at Trafford ParkTrafford Park
Trafford Park is an area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Located opposite Salford Quays, on the southern side of the Manchester Ship Canal, it is west-southwest of Manchester city centre, and north of Stretford. Until the late 19th century it was the...
and, in 1946, concern was expressed in parliament over the closing of the bridge to road traffic at peak times. A cargo vessel struck the bridge on 28 December 1948, restricting the bridge to single-line working and a two ton weight limit, until repairs had been completed. The bridge was closed between 18 August 2008 and 18 January 2009 to enable the replacement of electricity cabling.
Operation
The structure is located adjacent to, and downstream of, the Barton Swing AqueductBarton Swing Aqueduct
The Barton Swing Aqueduct is a moveable navigable aqueduct in Barton upon Irwell in Greater Manchester, England. It carries the Bridgewater Canal across the Manchester Ship Canal. The swinging action allows large vessels using the Manchester Ship Canal to pass underneath and smaller narrowboats to...
. The two bridges are controlled from a brick-built valve house, on an island in the centre of the ship canal. The island supports the pivot points for the rotating structures. When in the open positions, the aqueduct and road bridge line up along the length of the island, allowing ships to traverse along each side of the ship canal.