Trafford Road Bridge - Stretford, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 27.932 W 002° 17.056
30U E 547514 N 5924296
This wrought iron bridge was built as a swing bridge over the Manchester Ship canal.
Waymark Code: WMMYBM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/23/2014
Views: 2
The Manchester Ship Canal
The Manchester Ship Canal is an inland waterway 36 miles (58 km) 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 vessels about 60 feet (18 m) up to Manchester, where the canal's terminus was built.
Construction began in 1887; it took six years and cost £15 million (equivalent to about £1.65 billion in 2011[a]). When the ship canal opened in January 1894 it was the largest river navigation canal in the world, and enabled the newly created Port of Manchester to become Britain's third busiest port despite the city being about 40 miles (64 km) inland.
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Trafford Road Bridge
The bridge was built in 1894 by Sir Leader Williams engineer. it is made of Wrought- iron with brick and ashlar abutments. Bow-string lattice girders to either side of the roadway are joined at the top by smaller lattice girders. The bridge, which is of considerable dimensions originally pivoted on a turn table which is on the north bank and consequently not central.
It became an English Heritage Listed building on 30th June 1987.
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When it was open the bridge gave access to Pomona Dock, the easternmost part of the docks.
As time went on and large container ships were developed, most of the port became uneconomic and trade declined. Although ocean going ships still use the canal they main part of the port is now situated to the north of Manchester.
Although the bridge is the widest on the canal, the increase of road traffic meant that the bridge could no longer cope with traffic volumes. When a road widening scheme was implemented in 1998 it was decided to fix the bridge in position and to build new fixed one next to it. This bridge now is only used by north bound traffic, whilst south bound traffic uses the new bridge.