Structures Fund: Frederick Road and Oldfield Road
Salford City Council is in the process of submitting a bid to the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund for circa £51.7 million to renew and strengthen three road-over-rail bridge structures on Frederick Road and Oldfield Road.
These bridges are vital transport links connecting local communities, businesses, the University of Salford, the city centre and major regeneration areas including Crescent Salford, Liverpool Street and Middlewood Locks. The structures also provide important routes over operational railway lines.
The bridges are ageing assets that have deteriorated over time and are currently subject to 7.5-tonne weight restrictions, meaning buses, heavy goods vehicles and other larger vehicles cannot use them.
The proposed scheme would replace the declining bridges with modern structures designed to meet current standards and transport demand. This would remove existing restrictions, improve reliability, reduce long-term maintenance requirements and increase resilience across the transport network.
The project would also support wider ambitions for Salford by improving access to employment opportunities and educational facilities through better public transport connections between neighbourhoods. The scheme aligns with planned regeneration and transport improvements across Salford, helping to ensure that infrastructure keeps pace with housing, employment and innovation-led growth.
In addition to improving conditions for road users, the scheme would provide opportunities to enhance walking and cycling routes and support future public transport developments. The proposals have been developed in partnership with Network Rail, which owns the bridge structures and would play a key role in delivering the works should funding be secured.
Without investment, the bridges are expected to continue deteriorating, increasing the risk of further restrictions and potentially causing disruption to residents, businesses and the wider transport network. Renewal of the bridges would help safeguard these important routes for decades to come.
A decision on the Council’s funding bid is expected in Autumn 2026. If successful, the project will enable the replacement of the Frederick Road and Oldfield Road bridge structures by 2030.
For any further information, please contact: MajorWorks@salford.gov.uk