Media City Footbridge

The Media City Footbridge is a swing-mechanism footbridge over the Manchester Ship Canal near MediaCityUK. It is an asymmetric cable-stayed swing bridge and was completed in 2011.[1] It was designed by Gifford (now part of the Ramboll Group) and Wilkinson Eyre.[2]

MediaCityUK Footbridge
MediaCityUK Footbridge at night
Coordinates	53°28′17″N 2°18′00″W
Carries	Pedestrians
Crosses	Manchester Ship Canal
Locale	MediaCityUK, Salford Quays
Other name(s)	Salford Quays Swing Bridge
Owner	Peel Group
Characteristics
Design	Cable-stay swing bridge
Material	Steel
Total length	83 metres (272 ft)
Width	6–19 metres (20–62 ft)
Height	31 metres (102 ft)
Longest span	65 metres (213 ft)
No. of spans	2
Piers in water	1
Clearance above	48 metres (157 ft)
Clearance below	4.77 metres (15.6 ft)
History
Architect	Wilkinson Eyre
Designer	Gifford (structure), Pinniger (lighting)
Engineering design by	Bennett Associates (Atkins) KGAL
Constructed by	Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd
Fabrication by	Rowecord Engineering
Construction start	September 2009
Construction end	2011
Construction cost	£11 million
Opened	2011
Location

The pedestrian bridge links MediaCityUK with the Imperial War Museum North on Trafford Wharf.[3] It weighs 450 tonnes, and has two spans of 65 and 18 metres (213 and 59 ft). It swings through 71 degrees to give a 48-metre (157 ft) navigation channel.[1] The deck of the bridge is an orthotropic steel box.[4] The bridge is supported by eight tapered steel fanned masts. It was built by Balfour Beatty, with the steel fabrication by Rowecord Engineering of Newport, South Wales. The swing mechanism is built on a reinforced concrete caisson foundation of 13 metres (43 ft) diameter. Above the water it is 7.3 metres (24 ft) in diameter.