The award-winning Hulme Arch Bridge in Manchester is a showpiece for the ci
vil engineering profession. Though small in scale, this new cable-stayed ro
ad bridge in the heart of the Hulme regeneration area is a perfect example
of how imaginative design combined with leading-edge engineering technology
can be used to create a landmark structure which captures the public's ima
gination. The 52 m span is supported by a unique single diagonal parabolic
arch made from a tapering trapezoidal steel box section coated in aluminium
paint. This paper describes the design and construction of the various ele
ments of the bridge and discusses, in particular, the measures taken to avo
id plate buckling and to control concrete foundation temperatures.