The iconic Wheatley Viaduct, which has stood tall over Halifax for 130 years, has undergone extensive restoration and repair work to secure its future for generations to come.
Standing at 100 feet, the viaduct had significantly deteriorated over time, prompting a full-scale refurbishment, including waterproofing and masonry repairs.
Muhammad Musa, an engineer with the Historical Railways Estate (HRE), expressed his delight at the successful completion of the project, saying, “Wheatley is an important physical reminder of Halifax’s railway history, and we’re delighted that the work needed has now been completed.”
The restoration came after a routine examination revealed numerous structural issues. Contractors have worked tirelessly since the end of last year to address these problems, ensuring that the viaduct remains safe and well-maintained for years to come.
Dave Martin, senior project manager at contractor AmcoGiffen, highlighted the scale of the restoration: “This was a big project, with more than 2,000 meters of repointing completed, 100 meters of fractures repaired, and over 200 anchors installed. We also stripped, waterproofed, and reinstated 1,600 square meters of the deck.”
Built in 1844 for the Halifax High Level Railway, the Wheatley Viaduct is approximately 600 feet long with a slight curve, originally constructed to transport coal. It played a vital role in the region’s industrial history until the last goods train ran across it in 1960.
Though closed to the public since the 1960s for safety reasons, the viaduct has often been accessed by trespassers and vandalized over the years. The restoration project has now secured this historic structure as part of Halifax’s landscape, ensuring it remains a striking feature of the local skyline.
To prepare for the restoration, ecologists conducted bat surveys to determine if the structure was being used by bats. As part of the environmental measures, four bat boxes were installed, and 95 bat crevices were left open to accommodate bats during their hibernation season.
Additional restoration efforts included replacing water-damaged brickwork and masonry on the arches and piers, re-bedding displaced stones, and replacing missing sections of the structure.
The Wheatley Viaduct is part of the Historical Railways Estate (HRE), which manages over 3,100 structures across the UK that were once integral to Britain’s railway network.
With this restoration, Wheatley Viaduct will remain a cherished part of Halifax’s heritage and a testament to the region’s rich industrial history.
Picture credit: The Viaduct spanning the River Nidd at Knaresborough by John M Wheatley, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
