05 August 2009
Water engineers have been renewing pipes throughout the four corners of Manchester city centre - but they never expected to unearth a four-cornered pipe!
The unusual find on Oxford Road is a real "squarity" and has left engineers scratching their heads.
The cast-iron pipe dates back to 1907 and is oblong in cross section, rather than round. It has been found where Oxford Road crosses the Rochdale Canal bridge.
United Utilities project coordinator Tony Molloy said: "I've been replacing water mains across the North West for nearly twenty years and I've never seen anything like this! I think this is a genuine one-off, machined specially for this location."
The pipe is so unusual that it will be donated to MOSI ( Museum of Science & Industry) in Manchester. MOSI's Assistant Curator of Community History, Susie Elliott, said: "MOSI is delighted to receive this square water pipe into our collection. This particular section is significant as it helped to feed water into the heart of Manchester's textiles district, the most important textile district in the world during this period.
"The fact that it is a square pipe is highly unusual and it will be an important addition to our collections relating to water and sanitation in the North West. After 102 years serving the city underground, it is great to see it back on the surface and still looking good after all this time," she added.
The pipe which is 26 inches in diameter was machined in one complete section to cross the brow of the canal bridge. It is not known why an oblong pipe would have been laid in this particular place, but it may have had something to do with the bridge construction and the available depth of the road.
Tony explained: "First of all we had to check that it wasn't attached to the bridge structure before we lifted it out of the ground - that wouldn't be a good idea and certainly wouldn't do the bridge much good!"
The square pipe is being removed on Wednesday, 5 August and marks the final stage of the work on Oxford Road. The road will be reopened to through traffic on Wednesday evening with just one lane closed to allow final reinstatement work. All work is expected to be finished on Oxford Road by Sunday 16 August, two weeks ahead of schedule.
Tony added: "We've really pulled out all the stops to get the work done as quickly as possible in this very busy part of Manchester. I'd like to thank all the traders and motorists for their patience. The new plastic pipes may not be quite as unusual as some of the ones we've replaced but they will mean better water quality and fewer leaks for decades to come."