National Highways pledges £2.4 million support for phase 2 of Castlefield Viaduct transformation

National Highways is supporting the National Trust’s project to turn the Grade II Victorian viaduct in Manchester into a “sky park” and bring a welcome green space to the heart of the city by committing £2.4 million of funding.

The funding help lay the foundations to double the park’s size, transforming the untouched half of the viaduct and turning the structure into a through route by adding additional entry and exit points.

Work to turn the Castlefield Viaduct into a floating urban park originally began in February 2022. Working alongside the National Trust and other local groups, the park was transformed into an explorative walkway surround by plants and flowers.

It was opened to the public in July 2022 and phase 2 of the project will see the creation of winding paths, further planting of plants and the installation of the Gold medal-winning WaterAid Garden from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Helene Rossiter, Head of the Historical Railways Estate Programme, said:

“We’re delighted to continue playing a significant part in resurrecting this stunning structure. Bringing the viaduct back to life after many decades of maintaining it and keeping it safe reinforces our commitment to repurposing structures for future use wherever possible, and it’s a privilege to help fund phase two of the project which will see the sky park extended and transformed into a stunning green through-route for everyone in the city to enjoy.”