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New Etihad link in 'floating walkways' plan

Declan CareyLocal Democracy Reporting Service
News imageBBC Image is an artist's impression of Manchester city centre, showing a cyan blue walkway weaving alongside the canal path through a number of city apartment blocks. BBC
The CyanLines project will see a number of "floating walkways" connecting different parts of Manchester

Plans for a "floating walkway" linking Manchester city centre to the Etihad campus have been revealed.

It will be part of the £100m CyanLines plan to create a 100-mile (161km) network of walkways around the Greater Manchester region over the next decade.

The recently announced route will see the Etihad campus - home to Manchester City FC - connected to Piccadilly station, taking in Ashton Canal, New Islington and Holt Town.

Greater Manchester mayor Bev Craig said: "It's not just about travel, the whole point of CyanLines is 100 miles of nature connected together, and yes it's about how you move, cycle and walk, but it's something more fundamental."

There are two further CyanLines routes in development in Newton Heath and Rusholme.

Backing for the plans comes from the Manchester and Trafford councils, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester City FC, the Canal and River Trust, property developers Renaker and Urban Splash, and the National Trust, among others.

Pete Bradshaw, director of sustainability at Manchester City, said: "The plans for the CyanLines route add a new layer of nature-rich, innovative and imaginative active travel and community experiences for fans, visitors and those living and working in the neighbourhood."

News imageImage shows a railway viaduct that has been reclaimed as a public park, with exotic plants growing alongside a footpath, along which a woman is walking.
The next phase of the Castlefield Viaduct park project has also been announced

Funding for the next phase of the Castlefield Viaduct "garden in the sky" was also announced.

Part of the old railway line has been transformed into a public park, which opened in 2022. The second phase will expand it to the full 330-metre length of the Victorian-era structure.

It is being supported by the Bupa Foundation's Healthy Cities programme.

Hilary McGrady, director-general at the National Trust, said: "Bupa's funding will help the Trust extend the sky park project in Manchester, meaning more people will experience and benefit from this green space that sits in the heart of the city."

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