Wonder how this striking landmark came to be? The Hulme Arch Bridge stands before us. It is more than just a bridge. It represents Hulme’s regeneration. This area was once divided. Princess Road cut Stretford Road in two back in 1969.
Imagine Hulme without a direct connection. Stretford Road was split. A footbridge offered a way across. But it wasn’t enough to revive the area. The Hulme Arch Bridge changed that.
The Hulme Arch Bridge construction aimed to reconnect Stretford Road. It became a symbol of renewal. The bridge’s design was chosen in June 1995. Construction started in May 1996. It finished in April 1997.
Alex Ferguson opened the Hulme Arch Bridge on May 10, 1997. The Lord Mayor of Manchester and Tony Wilson attended the ceremony. They drove over the bridge in a Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. A street festival followed.
Chris Wilkinson Architects designed the Hulme Arch Bridge. Ove Arup & Partners handled the engineering. Henry Boot Construction built it. The Gateway Arch in St. Louis inspired the design.
The Hulme Arch Bridge deck spans 50 metres. It has three steel and concrete sections. These sections are covered with tarmac. Twenty-two steel cables support the deck. These cables connect to a 25-metre-high arch. The arch spans the bridge diagonally.
The arch comprises six trapezoid steel sections. It varies in width and depth. At the bases, it measures 1.6 metres wide by 1.5 metres deep. At the top, it is 3 metres wide and 0.7 metres deep. Concrete blocks support the arch. These blocks measure 8.5 by 6.5 by 5.5 metres.
The Hulme Arch Bridge is illuminated at night. Internal stiffeners and diaphragms maintain the arch’s shape. The top section is filled with concrete. A vapour corrosion inhibitor coats the lower sections. Portholes allow for future coats.
During construction, Princess Road closed for weekends. Workers assembled the deck sections on the central reservation. Cranes lifted them into place. Trestles supported the decking until the arch was ready. The arch sections were welded on-site. They were then lifted into position. Cables were connected during the third weekend.
Structural engineers praised the Hulme Arch Bridge design. They called it imaginative and leading-edge. It captures the public’s imagination.
The Hulme Arch Bridge received several awards. It was shortlisted for the British Construction Civil Engineering Award in 1997. In 1998, it won a Royal Institute of British Architects Award. It also received a British Constructional Steelwork Association Structural Steel Design Award Commendation. The Hulme Arch Bridge won a Civic Trust Award Commendation. It also won an Institute of Civil Engineers Merit Award.
The Hulme Arch Bridge stands as a testament to innovative engineering. It also stands as a symbol of Hulme’s resurgence. It offers passage. It inspires awe.