M67 St Anne’s Road bridge replacement project

The bridge that carries St Anne’s Road over the M67 motorway needs extensive repairs. A major construction project to replace St Anne’s Road bridge in Denton is underway.

Start date January 2023

End date 2026

Cost £23 million

Latest updates

26 February 2024

Beams successfully in place

We recently installed the first set of new beams on St Anne’s Road bridge.

The steel beams, weighing a combined 97 tonnes, will carry utility cables and pipework, ensuring services such as water, gas and electricity remain on throughout our essential work.

By fully closing the M67, which passes underneath the bridge, our workforce was able to safely use a large crane to install the beams as shown in the timelapse video below.

Thank you for your patience during the full weekend motorway closure.

What next?

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be completing post installation work on the beams and preparing the bridge for the next phase of work.

This will see us working with United Utilities, Cadent Gas, Electricity North West and Openreach in spring 2024. Each service provider will make their permanent and temporary diversions.

To carry out the utility diversions, we will also need to reduce a small section of the A57 Hyde Road to a single lane of traffic.

The roadworks will be in place for the safety or road users and our staff. Once confirmed, we will publicise closure dates in advance on this webpage.

Do you fancy a career in construction?

On Tuesday 19 March, we’re supporting Open Doors. An initiative that takes visitors behind the scenes to showcase the fantastic careers available in the industry.

This is a chance for you to come to site to learn more about our work. On the day there’ll be a short presentation about the project, followed by a guided tour of the construction site.

The event is open to anyone above the age of 12. Please note, places are limited and must be booked in advance via the Open Doors website.
02 February 2024

M67 full weekend closure

Later this month we’ll be installing the first set of new beams on St Anne’s Road bridge.

The steel beams, each pair weighing around 97 tonnes, will carry utility cables and pipework, ensuring services such as water, gas and electricity remain on during the next phase of work.

For the safety of road users and our workforce, we will be closing the M67 between junction 1a at Denton and junction 3 at Hyde. The closure will be in place from 9pm Friday 16 to 5am Monday 19 February 2024.

Road users travelling between Manchester (M60) and the A57 Snake Pass, A628 and the east of England should follow signed diversion routes between Mottram in Longdendale and Denton Island, junction 24 of the M60.

Local traffic in Hyde and Denton should follow the signed diversion on the A57 Hyde Road / Manchester Road.

The diversion routes have been developed in consultation with the emergency services and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

What happens next?

Following the installation of the first two beams, we will work with United Utilities, Cadent, Electricity North West and Openreach. Each organisation will make their permanent and temporary diversions, ensuring key services remain on throughout our essential work to replace the bridge.

To carry out the utility diversions, we will also need to reduce a small section of the A57 Hyde Road to a single lane of traffic. This is to maintain a safe working area for road users and our staff.

Once dates have been confirmed with the utility providers, we will publicise closure dates in advance via our website, social media and local press.

A huge thank you for your patience and cooperation while we carry out this safety critical work.

Stay up to date

You can keep up-to-date with what's happening on the M67 St Anne's Road bridge renewal scheme by signing up to email updates.
29 December 2023

End of year update

As we bid farewell to 2023, we wanted to share an update on the vital ongoing work to replace St Anne’s Road bridge in Denton.

We have made good progress, both on- and off-site, through autumn and into winter of this year.

We have been manufacturing two steel beams at a factory in Blackburn which will eventually carry utility services such as water pipes and gas mains over the M67 motorway. These beams, weighing 97 tonnes combined, will need to be installed by crane.

Simultaneously, on-site activities have focused on rebuilding the bridge's load-bearing shelf and supporting wall. These crucial steps lay the groundwork for the installation of the two beams in the first half of 2024.

In addition to our commitment to renewing the bridge, we take great pride in supporting the community. Throughout the year, we've had the privilege of contributing to a number of local causes. For example, in the spirit of the holiday season, we recently offered our support to Denton-based Ensemble Theatre community group to help build a set for their Christmas pantomime.

Click the link to find out more about our community work in the Tameside area.
22 August 2023

See you later, excavator

Last weekend we successfully demolished the eastern side of St Anne’s Road bridge.

By fully closing the M67 motorway underneath the bridge, our staff were able to safely manoeuvre large cranes and drilling equipment around the structure and remove the demolished sections of the bridge and debris from site.

You can see a photo gallery from the weekend's demolition works further down the webpage.

Thank you for bearing with us while we progress our work.

What next?

Our demolition work on the bridge continues through August and September.

To safely complete that work, the M67 is now reduced to narrow lanes between junctions 1 and 2 eastbound, and between Junctions 3 and 1A westbound. A reduced speed limit of 50mph is also in effect and free vehicle recovery in operation.

In autumn, after the supporting walls have been modified to carry the new bridge, we will install two beams over the motorway to house a water main and temporary diversions for other utility services such as gas, telecoms and electric.

Following the beams’ installation, utility providers will return to make the connections required to divert their services.

To safely install the two beams, additional carriageway closures on the M67 between junctions 1A and 3 will be required later this year.

Once confirmed, we will publicise closure dates in advance on this webpage and through our daily closures and our regional X page.

How did we do?

Please take a moment to share your feedback with the project team by completing a short survey.

By answering five quick questions you can help us improve communications on this and other schemes in the future.
02 August 2023

M67 weekend closure

The first phase of our bridge demolition work will require a section of the M67 motorway close from 9pm on Friday 18 August to 5am on Monday 21 August 2023.

The closure between junction 1a at Denton and junction 3 at Hyde will allow our teams to safely cut out a section of the bridge at its eastern side and remove it from site without endangering road users on the motorway below.

Road users travelling between Manchester (M60) and the A57 Snake Pass, A628 and the east of England should follow signed diversion routes between Mottram in Longdendale and Denton Island, junction 24 of the M60.

Local traffic in Hyde and Denton should follow the signed diversion on the A57 Hyde Road / Manchester Road.

The diversion routes have been developed in consultation with the emergency services and Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.

What happens next?

After the weekend closure, from Monday 21 August, the section of the M67 between J1 and J2 eastbound and between J3 and J1A westbound will be reduced to narrow lanes.

A reduced speed limit of 50mph will be in effect and free vehicle recovery will be in operation. There will also be signed restrictions for abnormal loads.

In autumn, after the first phase of our demolition work is complete, we will install two beams across the bridge to house utility services such as gas, water and electric.
Following the beams’ installation, utility providers will return to make the connections required to divert their services.

To safely install the two beams, additional carriageway closures on the M67 between junctions 1A and 3 will be required. Once confirmed, we will publicise closure dates in advance on this webpage and our social media channels.

Stay up to date

You can keep up-to-date with what's happening on the M67 St Anne's Road bridge renewal scheme by signing up to email updates.
07 July 2023

Demolition work begins

Work on delivering a £23m renewal scheme to St Anne’s Road bridge over the M67 motorway is progressing well.

Since closing the bridge on 10 January 2023, we’ve worked with United Utilities and Cadent to divert vital services and keep local utilities live while renewing the bridge.

We're now in the first phase of our bridge demolition activity, which started in June and will take approximately four months to complete.

We will be demolishing the eastern side of the bridge and remodelling its supporting walls so we can build a new section of the bridge to carry vital services, such as a water main, across the M67.

To ensure the safety of motorway users and our staff while work is underway, we’ve closed the hard shoulder and lane one of the M67 between junctions 1 and 2 eastbound and between junctions 3 and 1A westbound.

We are doing all we can to reduce the noise impact of our demolition work on the local community. We will ensure the noisiest activities are completed during the day wherever possible.

We understand the frustration that roadworks can cause, and we want to thank you for your continued patience whilst we undertake this essential bridge renewal scheme.
24 April 2023

Lane closure on A57 Hyde Road

Due to essential gas diversion works, we will need to reduce a short section of the A57 Hyde Road to one lane of traffic under a two-way traffic light system for the safety of staff and road users.

The section of the A57 Hyde Road that will be affected is between the M67 junction 2 exit slip road and the Nisa Local Denton, opposite St Anne's Road bridge.

The M67 westbound exit slip road at junction 2 will also be closed while gas works take place.

We're working closely with the gas utility provider to reduce the period of traffic management required. At present the A57 Hyde Road will operate under one lane of traffic over the following dates:

• Wednesday 26 April to Friday 5 May 2023

• Thursday 9 May to Friday 19 May 2023

The gas company's staff will be working during the bank holiday weekend to reduce as much as possible the duration of the traffic measures. Their work on underground gas pipelines is not always visible from the roadside.

While we are doing everything in our power to reduce disruption as much as possible, we’d like to apologise in advance for any disturbance this work may cause you. Thank you for bearing with us.
21 December 2022

Bridge closure

St Anne’s Road bridge requires extensive structural repairs.

We have explored many potential options for repairing the bridge and have concluded that the best solution is to replace the bridge entirely. This is quicker, safer, and more practical than repairing it.

For the safety of our staff and road users, we will be closing St Anne’s Road bridge from 9pm on Tuesday 10 January 2023 to carry out this work.

Due to the extent of the structural work required, the bridge and the entry slip road joining the M67 at junction 2 will need to remain closed for approximately three years.

One of the reasons the construction project will take so long is that the bridge carries local utilities, including gas, electricity, and water pipelines, which we will need to divert during our work to make sure your utilities always remain on.

We have worked closely with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to create efficient diversion routes with the aim of reducing disruption to local residents and businesses.

To help further reduce disruption, the closed section of St Anne’s Road near the former Penny Farthing pub will be reopened for the duration of the construction project and will act as a diversion route. Pedestrians and cyclists will also be able to use Angel Street footbridge.

A57 Hyde Road lane closure

From Monday 16 January 2023, a short section of the A57 Hyde Road, approximately 75m in either direction of the junction with St Anne’s Road, will be reduced to one lane of traffic under a two-way traffic light system for approximately five weeks. This is to allow United Utilities to conduct diversion works. Their work on underground water pipelines is not always visible from the roadside.

The M67 westbound exit slip road at junction 2 will also need to be closed occasionally between Monday 16 January and Tuesday 28 February 2023.

While we will do everything in our power to reduce disruption as much as possible, we’d like to apologise in advance for any disturbance this work may cause you. Thank you for bearing with us.
30 November 2022
Get to know our plans for St Anne’s Road bridge

Want to find out more about our multi-million-pound bridge replacement scheme in Denton?

You’re invited to meet our project team at two public information events at St Anne’s Church, Haughton, St Anne’s Road, Denton (M34 3EB):
- Friday 9 December 2022 from 3pm to 7pm.
- Saturday 10 December 2022 from 10am to 2pm.
26 August 2022
Preparation work to get underway

We’re currently finalising our programme for the main construction work to replace St Anne’s Road bridge, which is set to start in early 2023.

Ahead of this we’re carrying out some essential preparation work before the main bridge construction begins. We’re aiming to reduce disruption on local residents and businesses by carrying this work out.

On Monday 5 September 2022 we’re starting the first part of this work by installing temporary parking bays for residents.

Other parts of the preparation phase include:
- putting parking restrictions in place on St Anne’s Road to ease the flow of traffic
- re-opening the closed off section of road opposite the former Penny Farthing pub
- improving Edward Street junction and constructing a new car park
Please note, we’re working hard to firm up timeframes for this work. We’ll be sharing these dates once completed.

For more information, please see our August 2022 project newsletter.

See more updates

Project information

Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge

Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge
Work on demolishing the eastern half of St Anne's Road bridge

The existing bridge which carries St Anne’s Road over the M67 motorway requires extensive structural repairs due to its age and its outdated style of construction.

Not taking action to repair the bridge risks the safety of road users in the future.

We believe the best solution is to replace the bridge completely. This is quicker, safer, and more practical than repairing it. Replacing the bridge will mean short-term disruption to residents but it will bring long-term benefits to the area and ensure the safety of road users for decades to come.

The construction of a new bridge will require St Anne’s Road bridge to be closed for approximately three years. We are working closely with Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council to deliver diversion routes that will limit disruption to local residents and businesses.

To help reduce the disruption, the disused section of St Anne’s Road near the former Penny Farthing pub will be reopened for the duration of the construction project and will act as a diversion route. Pedestrians and cyclists will also be able to use Angel Street footbridge.

We’re currently working to finalise the programme for the main construction work and aim to start construction work in early 2023.

Replacing the existing M67 St Anne’s bridge is the quickest, safest, and most practical option available to us. Our scheme is designed to also have the following benefits:

Extending lifespan – the new bridge will last longer and reduce the need for maintenance and repairs over the decades to come.
Removing restrictions – the new bridge will meet all required standards for carrying heavy vehicles and remove the current need for load restrictions.
Keeping our utilities on – our scheme will allow local utility providers to renew their vital pipelines that run across the bridge.
Recycling the bridge’s existing foundations – we will reduce the time and cost of this project by keeping as much of the existing structure as possible.
Keeping us safe - new barriers will help to improve safety and accessibility for cyclists and pedestrians using St Anne’s Road bridge.

The first phase of our bridge demolition work will require a section of the M67 motorway be closed from 9pm Friday 18 August to 5am Monday 21 August 2023.

Road users travelling between Manchester (M60) and the A57 Snake Pass, A628 and the east of England should follow signed diversion routes between Mottram in Longdendale and Denton Island, junction 24 of the M60.