Plan for floating walkways along the River Irwell making 'significant' progress
The £100 million CyanLines project to build 100 miles of walking and cycling routes across Manchester is moving from idea to reality, with 15 miles already plotted and a partnership board now in place.
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Punters eating out in Manchester city centre could one day head home on a floating walkway along the River Irwell. It might sound like a vision of the distant future, but bosses say the plan is making real progress.
The CyanLines project aims to spend £100 million building a network of brightly coloured walking and cycling routes based around the city's waterways. A vision was first announced in September, and a partnership board was appointed in June to drive the work forward.
Tom Bloxham, chair of property developer Urban Splash and a co-founder of CyanLines, said: "We are well underway with agreeing and co-designing the first phase of CyanLines routes with our partners, including building our investment case for them."
The next step, he explained, is to "lobby for national and international funding" to get things moving.
How far has it got?
Around 15 miles have already been plotted across four routes based around Victoria station, Ancoats, St Peter's Square and Castlefield. These have been "proof-tested" with public walks and accessibility checks.
Two further lines have been approved by the CyanLines board, extending out to the Etihad Campus and Old Trafford football stadiums. The network could also extend the Castlefield Viaduct sky park, which the National Trust transformed from a former railway viaduct into a park in the sky in 2022.
Concept images show cyan-coloured wooden paths floating above both the Manchester and Salford sides of the river, complete with jetties for rowing boats and cycle lanes snaking around existing road bridges.
Who is behind it?
Several partner organisations have signed up, including the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester City Council, the National Trust, Urban Splash and Renaker.
Bev Craig, Manchester council leader and Labour's candidate for the mayoral by-election, said: "With representatives from a range of organisations and sectors, the knowledge and expertise of the board will help us drive forward our plans to bring more nature into the city for the benefit of everyone who lives, works and visits here."
Bosses are aiming to start on "immediate priority accessibility improvements in the next financial year" and have begun assessing costs to apply for funding.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the CyanLines project?
- CyanLines is a proposed £100m initiative to create a 100-mile network of brightly coloured walking and cycling routes, including floating walkways, across Manchester.
- Which areas will the first routes cover?
- The initial 15 miles of routes are focused around Victoria station, Ancoats, St Peter’s Square, and Castlefield, with future expansions planned for the Etihad Campus and Old Trafford.
- When will construction begin?
- While full construction timelines depend on securing national and international funding, project leaders aim to start initial accessibility improvements in the next financial year.