The A57 Hyde Road forms part of the main arterial route network into Manchester City Centre. The trunk road is a link between the junctions of the M60 and M67 motorways at the east end, and the Ardwick Green South (A6) at the west end.

For the majority of its length, the road offers dual carriageways in both directions (some incorporating a bus lane). However, between Far Lane and Thornwood Avenue the dual carriageways narrow to a single carriageway.

As part of ongoing widening works, a sheet-piled retaining wall is required in conjunction with a new single span footbridge/cycleway and demolition of the existing bridge. Eric Wright Civil Engineering appointed PaSCoE to undertake the temporary works design associated with the works.

Designs include ground bearing assessments for both the safe removal of the existing bridge and installation of the new combined footbridge and cycleway, including loading assessments on several strategic gas and water mains within the carriageway and footpath. Positioning of the crane required careful consideration due to the crane’s large footprint and levels across the site.

The works include ‘silent’ sheet-piling of a retaining wall behind a mass gravity wall (which is to be demolished in the future). PaSCoE have undertaken the design of the granular working platform required for the 70T telescopic crawler crane lifting piles, a stability assessment of the mass gravity wall, and design of a temporary berm to be constructed of site-won material to provide passive resistance to the reaction caused by the Giken ‘silent piler’ in it is initial use.