Stephenson Bridge

Stephenson Bridge is a railway bridge constructed in 1844 and extended in 1884, carrying the railway line over Victoria Street in Manchester. The bridge was designed by George Stephenson as part of the Manchester and Leeds Railway Company's trans-Pennine route, terminating at Victoria Station immediately adjacent.

The 1844 bridge consists of two cast iron arches carrying the railway line, supported by masonry abutments. The abutments on either side of the road span and on the eastern side of the river span are constructed in plain rusticated ashlar, each with a large deep niche with keyed round arch. Between the road and river spans, three brick arches with ashlar dressings link the two main spans on the north side, carrying a brick and stone parapet. The road span is a cast iron arch decorated with cast iron strips forming lozenges, carrying a cast iron parapet with pilasters and raised panels. The river span is of similar construction, with stone facings and a plain iron parapet.

The 1884 extension was added on the south side using plate girder construction over both road and river, supported by a masonry wall alongside the station to the east. A matching abutment rebuilt to match the original stands to the west, and a double abutment with a short length of stone walling between stands in the centre, carrying a stone parapet. The abutment pillars are at different heights to accommodate variations in ground level between the road and river. The road span has a parapet in cast iron with raised and fielded panels, every third one containing a rosette, with small lion heads at intervals along the top. The river span has a plain iron parapet with the girder construction visible below.

The two sections follow slightly different tracks across the river, with the later section diverging slightly south to make a shorter crossing. There is no space between the two sections from above.

The platform of the former Exchange Station survives as an extension from the western end of Victoria Station, running over both road and river to the car park that now occupies the former station. Traces of the former superstructure are visible in the tarmac surface and along the parapet.

Victoria Station was the western terminus of the Manchester and Leeds Railway Company's line, constructed in 1844. Around 1864 a second bridge was constructed immediately to the north to connect the line to Bolton and Wigan developed by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company. By the 1880s Victoria Station had become one of the largest passenger stations in the country.

Manchester Exchange Station, west of Victoria Station on the other side of the River Irwell, opened in 1884. The 1844 bridge was widened at the same time to provide access between the two stations. This linkage formed what was the longest passenger platform in Europe, carried partly on the bridge and extending through the original 1844 section of Victoria Station, with a canopy over the platform and track. Further development occurred in 1893 when a third bridge was constructed to the north, taking further track between the two stations. Between 1903 and 1908 Victoria Station was further extended with a new facade by architect William Dawes. Exchange Station, severely damaged by bombing during the Second World War, closed in 1969. The 1893 bridge became redundant in 1992–4 when the new Arena was built into the north side of Victoria Station. The platform on the 1844 bridge became redundant when Exchange Station closed, and the train shed roof was demolished in 1982. The canopy survived until 1994, and the platform still survives over the bridge with some traces of the former canopy.

Part of the bridge lies within Salford District.