Completion of the River Weaver Navigation in 1734 provided a navigable route for transporting salt from Winsford, through Northwich, to Frodsham, where the Weaver joins the River Mersey.
The bridge is a Historic England Grade II* Listed Building.
"Railway viaduct: Completed 1836 by Joseph Locke and George Stephenson for the Grand Junction Railway Co. Rock faced red sandstone with ashlar dressings. 20 deep segmental arches of 40 voussoirs with dropped ashlar keystone on concavely battered piers of 16 cyclopean courses on plain plinths. Simple battered pilasters on each rectangular plinth on each outer cornice. Projecting copings. Cutwaters to the piers of 2 arches, now dry, to the River Weaver before re-alignment of the Weaver Navigation. 1960's steel pylons for electrification. Dutton viaduct is the longest on the Grand Junction Railway and an early example of a major railway viaduct, but more assured than the earliest, the Sankey Viaduct on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, by the same engineers 3 years earlier. It was completed at a cost of £54,440, the contractor being McIntosh of London. As no life was lost or serious injury incurred during construction, its completion was greeted by a civic celebration. Hewitt H J 1972 The Building of the Railways in Cheshire."
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The Grand Junction Railway
"The Grand Junction Railway (GJR) was an early railway company in the United Kingdom, which existed between 1833 and 1846 when it was amalgamated with other railways to form the London and North Western Railway. The line built by the company was the first trunk railway to be completed in England, and arguably the world's first long-distance railway with steam traction.
Presently, the lines which comprised the GJR form the central section of the West Coast Main Line."
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The West Coast Mainline
"The West Coast Main Line (WCML) is one of the most important railway corridors in the United Kingdom, connecting the major cities of London, Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. It is one of the busiest mixed-traffic railway routes in Europe, carrying a mixture of intercity rail, regional rail, commuter rail and rail freight traffic. The core route of the WCML runs from London to Glasgow, with branches diverging to Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool, totalling a route mileage of 700 miles (1,127 km). Services from London to North Wales and Edinburgh also run via the WCML; however the main London-Edinburgh route is the East Coast Main Line. In addition, several sections of the WCML form part of the suburban railway systems in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow, with many more smaller commuter stations, as well as providing links to more rural towns.
It is one of the busiest freight routes in Europe, carrying 40% of all UK rail freight traffic. The line is the principal rail freight corridor linking the European mainland (via the Channel Tunnel) through London and South East England to the West Midlands, North West England and Scotland. The line has been declared a strategic European route and designated a priority Trans-European Networks (TENS) route.
Much of the line has a maximum speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), meeting the European Union's definition of an upgraded high-speed line,[6] although only Class 390 Pendolinos and Class 221 Super Voyagers with tilting mechanisms operated by Virgin Trains travel at that speed. Other traffic is limited to 110 mph (177 km/h)."
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