Geograph - photograph every grid square

The six-tonne bridge, costing around £90,000 and funded as a "work of public art", was designed by Fallowfield-based public artist Liam Curtin. It was constructed in 2012, using 400 scaled-up giant-sized pieces of Meccano together with 700 nuts and bolts.

Planning permission for the new bridge was granted by Bolton council in September 2012. It replaces a wooden bridge which collapsed around 50 years ago. The original bridge was used by horses crossing from the Bury arm of the canal to the Bolton arm over the top lock at Nob End. It was not replaced as the canal bed had become dry following the canal breach in 1936.

The original walls and abutments have been restored using bricks from the recently demolished workshop nearby. The completed Meccano bridge is fully functional as a walkway, standing 1.3m high and spanning 6.4m across the canal, linking Little Lever with the nearby Moses Gate Country Park.

Archive Link Artist builds Meccano canal bridge at Little Lever (Manchester Evening News 8th December 2012)

Link (YouTube) interview and video showing preparatory work.


See other images of The Meccano Bridge