Barton High Level Bridge.
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Barton High Level Bridge was opened on 21st March 1961 as the Stretford - Eccles by-pass, it became part of the M63 and serves as part of what has become the western outer ring road for Manchester (now M60).
The bridge is approximately 740 m. (2425 ft.) long and crosses the Ship Canal with an approximately 30.5 m. (100 ft.) clearance over water level, supporting the bridge are reinforced concrete piers which vary in height from 9.1 m. (30 ft.) to 24.4 m. (80 ft.)
Originally it was built as a dual carriage way but this proved inefficient and was later exetended to three lanes and reopend in 1990.
Although some what of a local landmark Barton Bridge has also claimed the lives of four men who helped construct it, scaffolding gave way killing three of them instantly, the fourth died a few days later in hospital, along with the numerous deaths there have been dozens of others injured also.
This delayed work on the bridge by five weeks, with this accident alone, and with various other issues including costs and the constant changing of contractors, the total delay in completing the bridge stretched out to one year in the end at massive costs.
Having been over Barton Bridge so many times its easy to forget it, as it becomes the normal everyday thing you would expect, its a bridge and its purpose is for you to cross it.
But being the adventurous types we are, why settle for doing things normally? So when a call came from TnM proposing we should climb the beast it was and opportunity too good to miss.
A few days later everything was set, we arrived at the bridge where we met Userscott and Yaz and got into the safety harnesses and started our ascent, which was tricky to say the least, but with Scotts climbing skills we where up there in no time at all ;)
Once we where all up on the bridge and safely negotiated the locked doors by way of SRT climbing we started the trek across the 2425 feet of steel walkways to the other side of the bridge.
At 100 feet in the air crossing the Manchester ship canal with traffic whizzing feet above your head is something else.
In total we spent nealry four hours on this iconic landmark structure exploring the various walkways and gantrys that spur off from the main walkway, taking in views and admiring the structure.
Not the typical explore but well worth the effort and one that only a handfull of people will ever do.
Date : April 2008 : Location : Manchester : Explorers : Havoc : The New Mendoza :
Userscott : Yaz36
