Plan unveiled for viaduct bridge to join Oldham and Tameside

Oldham Council said the bridge would be built out of steel girders for an industrial look

Plans for a landmark bridge connecting two areas of Greater Manchester by a viaduct have been lodged by a council.

If approved, the crossing would let cyclists and walkers move between Oldham and Tameside across the Medlock Valley in Park Bridge.

Oldham Council said it hoped to secure £5m in funding from the Greater Manchester Mayor's Challenge Fund.

Council chiefs said the 128m (419ft) bridge would celebrate the area's industrial heritage.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the project would run along the route of a railway viaduct.

Currently walking and cycling routes between Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne on the national cycle network do not meet Bee Network standards, according to the planning application.

The Bee Network has been designed to improve travel across the city region by encouraging more people to leave their cars at home and use specifically designed safer routes.

The application said walkers and bike riders have to take a "steep" diversionary route through the Medlock Valley which is not "accessible to everyday cyclists or those with a buggy or mobility issues".

The project is aimed at making the borough easier to traverse for cyclists and walkers

Council bosses said it would create a "new landmark within the Medlock Valley and Park Bridge, which celebrates the local landscape and industrial heritage of the area".

The structure, which would stand more than 30m (98ft) above the ground, would be built out of steel girders which would weather over the years to provide an "industrial look", the planning document said.

The design also aims to provide an access point to the Northern Roots site, planned as the UK's largest urban farm and eco-park on land at Snipe Clough.

It is also estimated the scheme would cut the number of daily car journeys on nearby roads.

Oldham council staff have been working with Transport for Greater Manchester and Tameside Council on the bridge proposal.

Council leader Amanda Chadderton urged people to leave comments on the through the planning portal or council website.