Plans for a network of floating walkways and cycle routes along the River Irwell in Manchester are making 'significant' progress, according to city leaders. The project, known as CyanLines, aims to create a 100-mile network of brightly-coloured walking and cycling routes across the city, potentially transforming how residents and commuters get around.
First Phase Underway
Tom Bloxham, chair of property developer Urban Splash and 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 accelerate progress.
The scheme, first announced in September, aims to spend £100m building floating walking routes based around the city's waterways. Concept images show cyan-coloured wooden paths floating above the Manchester and Salford sides of the river, complete with jetties for rowing boats and cycle lanes that snake around existing road bridges.
Partnership Board Appointed
A partnership board for the scheme was appointed in June to move the work forward. Several organisations have signed up to support the plans, including the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester City Council, the National Trust, and property developers Urban Splash and Renaker.
If completed, CyanLines would create new connections to Greater Manchester's parks, squares, rivers, canals and viaducts, alongside new signage and routes listed on the Komoot app.
Political Backing
Bev Craig, leader of Manchester council and candidate for regional mayor, said the plans are making 'significant' steps forward and would bring massive benefits. She added: '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.'
Initial Routes Planned
Around 15 miles of CyanLines have already been plotted across four different trips, based around Victoria station, Ancoats, St Peter’s Square, and Castlefield. These routes, a mixture of point-to-point and circular trails, have been 'proof-tested' with public walks and accessibility checks. Two further lines have been approved by the board, extending to the Etihad Campus and Old Trafford football stadiums.
CyanLines could also extend the Castlefield Viaduct park, which the National Trust transformed from a former railway viaduct into a city centre park in 2022.
Next Steps
Bosses aim to 'start on the immediate priority of accessibility improvements in the next financial year' and have begun assessing costs to apply for improvement funding. With Greater Manchester's population growing and traffic congestion worsening, the floating walkways could ease pressure on transport networks.
