The viaduct is arched and made of brick. It carried the double tracks between Manchester Piccadilly via Oxford Road and Deansgate, then turns north west, crosses the canal basin and heads for Salford. Its contemporary among the other viaducts carried the then main line to Altrincham. All intersect at a point about 300m west of Deansgate Station.

William Baker's Water Street Bridge, with its six cast iron arches each made in three sections, was built as part of the viaduct. And it includes six more of his cast iron arch bridges, all similar although cast in five sections. They cross the Rochdale Canal, Castle Street and Chester Road. Then one at Deansgate Station, one over Oxford Road (encased in concrete in 1959) and over Albion Street (renewed in reinforced concrete in 1980).

The MSJ&A Railway was the first suburban line in Manchester.

Conrtractor: John Brogden & Sons

Research: PD

bibliography

PHEW records, ICE