Stockport Viaduct

Stockport Viaduct
Stockport Viaduct
Coordinates	53°24′33″N 2°09′51″W / 53.4091°N 2.1642°W / 53.4091; -2.1642
Carries	West Coast Main Line
Crosses	River Mersey
Locale	Stockport, Greater Manchester
Official name	Stockport Viaduct
Owner	Network Rail
Maintained by	Network Rail
Heritage status	Grade II* listed
Characteristics
Design	Arch bridge
Material	Brick
Total length	547.2 m (598.4 yd)
Height	111.1 ft (33.9 m) maximum
No. of spans	22[1]
Rail characteristics
No. of tracks	4
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)
Electrified	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE
History
Engineering design by	George Watson Buck
Construction start	March 1839 (March 1839)[2]
Construction end	December 1840 (December 1840)[2]
Construction cost	£72,000[1]
Opened	August 1842 (August 1842)[1]
Location

Stockport Viaduct carries the West Coast Main Line across the valley of the River Mersey in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England (grid reference SJ89089030). It is one of the largest brick structures in the United Kingdom and a major structure of the early railway age. It is immediately north of Stockport railway station.

The viaduct was designed by George Watson Buck in consultation with the architect John Lowe for the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. Work began in March 1839 and despite its scale and flooding from the Mersey, the viaduct was completed in December 1840 and services commenced the same month. Roughly 11 million bricks were used in its construction; at the time of its completion, it was the world's largest viaduct and a major feat of engineering. The viaduct is 33.85 metres (111.1 ft) high.^{[3][note 1]} Since March 1975, Stockport Viaduct has been a Grade II* listed structure;^[4] it remains one of the world's biggest brick structures.^[3]

Several alterations have been made to the viaduct, in the late 1880s it was widened to accommodate four tracks by the London and North Western Railway. In the 1960s, overhead catenary lines were installed by British Rail for the West Coast Main Line electrification scheme. In the second half of the 20th century, the M60 motorway was built, passing through two of the viaduct's arches between Junction 1 (A5145 road) and Junction 27 (Portwood Roundabout). The viaduct has been subject to renovation and remedial repairs over the years.

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