River Irwell Footbridge
Overview
The Irwell footbridge will span across the River Irwell landing:
- Adjacent to the Mark Addey Public House on the Salford bank
- At the edge of Irwell Square between the two Wescott retail/residential buildings on the Manchester bank
The proposed bridge construction is a prefabricated steel super-structure with an abutment and a foundation on the Manchester bank and a foundation on the Salford bank.
The construction of new reinforced concrete abutments on the Manchester (Left Bank) and Salford sides of the River Irwell between Quay Street and Bridge Street.
The subsequent off site fabrication of a new steel bridge with delivery to site in sections, fabrication on site into one complete section and lifting into position. This bridge works also include the installation and tensioning of a cable running beneath the bridge.
Ancillary works include painting of the bridge (mainly off site), lighting, and public realm works to either abutment and surrounds.
Key Challenges
The bridge was lifted into place using a 1000T crane located in an extremely restricted city centre location over the course of a weekend as it affected access into a number of key buildings. The crane was located immediately behind a river retaining wall on unknown quality.
EWCE worked together with the client team to carefully plan the lift, develop temporary works for the crane outriggers, and successfully install the bridge over a weekend with minimal disruption.
Added Value
EWCE provided work and employed two members of the local community for the duration of the project as part of a joint venture with the local Salford job centre.
A Carbon Calculator was used for the duration of the project to identify potential carbon savings.