Oldham Council has secured £4.5m of funding to refurbish one of the borough’s largest and busiest highway structures - Manchester Street Viaduct.
The money will be used to ensure the structure can continue to be used by tens of thousands of vehicles a day, for years to come.
The viaduct, constructed in the late 1970s, is located at the A62 Oldham Way-Manchester Street roundabout close to Oldham Town Centre. It is in a poor and deteriorating condition and work is needed to keep it safe
The planned works will ensure the structure meets its design working life - 120 years - keeping Oldham Way open and maintaining the resilience and efficiency of the existing highway network.
The work will involve concrete repairs and replacement of life-expired components such as expansion joints and bridge deck waterproofing to prevent deterioration of the structure in the future.
The repairs to the viaduct are part of the council’s plan to refurbish all the bridges along Oldham Way – which were all built in the 1970s.
The bridges at Waterloo Street and Wellington Street are currently being improved after the council secured more than £4m of government money to pay for that work.
At Monday night’s Cabinet meeting councillors agreed to accept the £4.5m of funding, which has been provided by the Department for Transport (DfT) City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS).
The overall refurbishment scheme will cost £6.5m with the council contributing the remaining £2m.
Councillor Hannah Roberts, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Our officers have done a great job in securing this funding.
“The viaduct is one of our most used sections of road and is beginning to show its age, which is why we asked for this funding.
“When the work is finished, the viaduct will fit for purpose for years to come. The council will do everything possible to finish the work quickly and keep disruption to a minimum.
“Good roads and infrastructure are important to residents which is why we are continuing to bid for funding and investing money in them.”
Designs and specifications will be developed in 2023/24 and physical work will start in 2025.