100 miles of floating walkways are coming to Manchester

Picture this: a turquoise-coloured walkway snaking along the riverbank, past jetties, rowing boats and green spaces rich with plantlife. ‘Where is this idyllic-sounding place?’ we hear you ask. The answer, you may be surprised to hear, is Manchester. 

At least, it soon will be, thanks to a proposal to create a 100-mile floating network of pathways between the city’s blue and green spaces.

The CyanLines initiative, backed by Manchester City Council and supported by the National Trust, would connect the city’s parks, rivers and canals via one major piece of infrastructure.

Wooden paths included in the plans would appear to float above the River Irwell on both the Manchester and Salford banks, and a ‘park in the sky’ near Castlefield is also included in the scheme’s blueprint. The 100-mile route will include paths through Mayfield Park via Ancoats and New Islington, and will also extend as far as the Castlefield Viaduct park.

Construction of the development is expected to cost at least £100 million over the next 10 years, so it’ll be a while before we see the plans become a reality. However, the initiative is already well within its first co-design and agreement phase, which includes drawing up an investment case, according to its co-chair Tom Bloxham.

Four pilot loops are currently being ‘proof-tested’ by the public and more than 15 miles of paths have already been plotted, including a trail from St Peter’s Square to Whitworth Park and the Irwell & Castlefield Loop.

Did you see that Manchester could soon be linked to this other major UK city by an underground tunnel?

Plus: this ‘portal to the past’ with a Victorian village and actors that is one of Time Out’s Best Museums in the UK 2026.