Dutton Viaduct (1837) Cheshire, England

The Dutton Viaduct is a railway viaduct crossing the River Weaver near the villages of Dutton and Acton Bridge in Cheshire, England. It was built in 1836 as part of the West Coast Main Line and was the first railway viaduct outside of London. It was also the longest on the Grand Junction Railway which was formed in 1833 to connect Birmingham with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.​

Three noted engineers, George Stephenson John Rastrick and Joseph Locke were engaged for the railway project but Rastrick resigned almost immediately. Following a disagreement in 1835 Stephenson also resigned leaving Locke and contractor William Mackenzie to preside over the construction of the viaduct. The construction cost was £54,440 and the first passenger train crossed the bridge in July 1837.

The viaduct was constructed in red sandstone using more than 700,000 cubic feet of stone. The design comprises 20 equal arches each of 18m (60 ft) width. The overall length is 391m (1274 ft) and the deck height is 18m (60 ft). Steel poles were added in the 1960s when the railway was electrified.

In 1986 the viaduct was designated by English Heritage as a Grade II Listed Building. A major refurbishment of the bridge was completed in 2012.

Links: Wikipedia