page_title: Barton Road Swing Bridge
section_title: Current bridge
hierarchical_section_title: Barton Road Swing Bridge / History / Current bridge
caption_attribution_description: English: Barton Road swing bridge, looking north
context_page_description: Barton Road Swing Bridge is a swing bridge for road traffic in Greater Manchester that crosses the Manchester Ship Canal between Trafford Park in the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford to Barton-upon-Irwell in the City of Salford. The bridge is a Grade II listed building, and is part of a surrounding conservation area. It runs parallel to the Barton Swing Aqueduct which carries the Bridgewater Canal. The bridge opens regularly for traffic along the Manchester Ship Canal, which can cause delays for road traffic.
  The bridge and aqueduct were inaugurated along with the Manchester Ship Canal in 1894, though a bridge had previously existed at this location for over 200 years. During the 20th century, it became increasingly important as an access route to Trafford Park and to allow traffic to bypass Manchester and Salford city centres, and consequently became a significant traffic bottleneck. A replacement high level bridge was built further downstream, and today the swing bridge carries mostly local traffic.
context_section_description: The current bridge was built during the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal. It was designed by the project's engineer, Edward Leader Williams, and constructed by Andrew Handyside and Company. Williams' design was chosen as the best of three possible plans by James Abernethy, who subsequently became the scheme's consulting engineer. The bridge opened to traffic on 1 January 1894. The total span is 59.3 metres (195 ft) and it carries a 5.6 metres (18 ft) roadway.
  By the 1930s, the bridge had become a significant bottleneck for workers in Trafford Park, who commuted over the bridge on foot or cycle, particularly during peak hours. It also became an important route for goods vehicles, both heading to Trafford Park and crossing Lancashire, and for parishioners in Eccles travelling to Mass at the All Saints Church on the canal's south side.
  In 1946, concern was expressed in Parliament over the closing of the bridge to road traffic at peak times. The following year, the Manchester Ship Canal Company agreed that the bridge would generally stay open for road traffic during rush hour, though this could not be guaranteed. A cargo vessel struck the bridge on 28 December 1948, restricting the bridge to single-line working and a two-ton weight limit until repairs had been completed. In 1953, traffic was banned from turning right off the bridge into Barton Road.
  By the 1950s, the bridge had become part of a de facto outer ring road as it formed part of a main road, the A575, from Stretford to Bolton, avoiding both Manchester and Salford. A traffic survey in 1954 revealed 9,600 vehicles were using the bridge daily and it closed 7,000 times a year. A replacement bridge was considered vitally important to the local economy, particularly that of Trafford Park. William Proctor, MP for Eccles, said "I cannot think of any other project in the North of England which should have higher priority than the Barton Bridge scheme." Construction of the replacement Barton High Level Bridge started in 1957; the bridge opened to traffic in October 1960 and has been referred to informally as the "Barton Bridge". Traffic on the swing bridge has also been reduced by the construction of Centenary Bridge located upstream towards Salford.
caption: The road crossing
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