The 33-mile Irwell Sculpture Trail, which runs from Salford to Rossendale in Lancashire, is to undergo a five-year re-development following a £420,000 funding injection from Art Council England.

The funding was awarded to a partnership consisting of Salford City Council, Lancashire County Council, Rossendale Borough Council and Bury Metropolitan Council.

Plans for the re-development are at the early stages but will include the introduction of GPS and mobile phone technology to help visitors navigate the trail. The partnership also proposes to create new routes that link the trail with existing tourist attractions including Salford Quays and extreme sports facility the Rossendale Adrenaline Gateway. The trail's website will also be updated.

Michael Eakin, north west executive director of Arts Council England, said: "The use of new media technologies will allow young people and community groups to actively engage with the sculptures and will encourage tourists to travel from MediaCityUK in Salford to the moors north of Bacup in Lancashire."

Arts and cultural development manager Shirley Lundstram explained that the plans for the next five years are still being negotiated, but could result in the trail linking in with the various regeneration schemes and creating "clusters of cultural activity".