St Anne's Road M67 bridge at Denton to be replaced

Not taking action to repair the bridge risked the safety of road users in the future, National Highways said

An "outdated" bridge over a motorway that needs extensive structural repairs is to be completely replaced, a roads management body has said.

National Highways said work would begin on St Anne's Road bridge, which straddles the M67 in Denton, Greater Manchester, in the New Year.

Bosses said they had explored various options and decided the best solution was to replace the bridge entirely.

The work is expected to take about three years to complete.

Programme delivery manager Mangat Bansal said not taking action to repair the bridge risked the safety of road users in the future.

"We have explored many potential options for repairing the structure while considering the inevitable disruption to the local community and road users," he said.

"We believe the best solution is to replace the bridge entirely.

"This is quicker, safer, and more practical than repairing it."

National Highways said any required closures of the motorway would be "publicised well in advance"

A National Highways representative said the bridge would be closed from 21:00 GMT on 10 January and would remain closed for "approximately three years".

"This timescale is predicted based on the fact the existing bridge carries local utilities, including gas, electricity, and water pipelines, which will need to be diverted to always remain on while the bridge is replaced," they said.

The work will also see the closure of the slip road joining the M67 at junction 2.

National Highways said any motorway closures would be publicised "well in advance".