Mersey Gateway Bridge set to open early

Aaron Morby 8 years ago
Share

The new Mersey Gateway Bridge could open to traffic as early as mid-September after the construction consortium building the new bridge re-assessed the programme for the remaining works.

This will mean the six-lane toll bridge project is opening ahead of time and within budget after a three-and-a-half-year construction programme that has seen major roads across Widnes and Runcorn re-routed and improved.

The achievement will be a major coup for the bridge building consortium which consists on Kier, Korean giant Samsung and Spanish contractor FCC.

It secured the £600m contract by switching from the original reference design based on steel fabrication to a reinforced concrete deck cast in-situ, saving “tens of millions of pounds”.

Once the new 1km bridge opens, tolls will be in place immediately.

Hugh O’Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, said: “All along we said we’d be opening in autumn 2017 and it is great to be able to keep that promise. We’ll update everyone with a firmer date as we get closer to opening but we’re confident that we will open by mid-October at the latest.

“Much of our final work is weather dependent, but we will be able to give a definitive date around five days ahead of opening.”

Mersey Gateway construction over three and a half years

Mersey gateway

View from south pylon looking across shorter central pylon

Mersey gateway

Final concrete pours before bridge connection

Mersey gateway

The wing traveller carrying out concrete pours to form the outer segments of the approach roads

Mersey gateway

Each stay cable contains 90 strands

Mersey gateway

The cables are anchored into delta frames inside the bridge deck.

Merseygateway

View from inside the bridge deck, looking at the delta frames which anchor the stay cables

Mersey gateway

Many stay cables are 200m long

Mersey Gateway

Stayed cable being installed on south pylon deck segment

Mersey gateway

Movable Scaffold System, known on site as Webster, ready for the next concrete pour

Merseygateway

Unique design takes shape where the 80m high central tower is shorter than the two outer towers, which are 110m (north tower) and 125m (south tower)

Mersey gateway

MSS Webster was designed to construct curving southern approach road

Merseygateway

Team preparing for concrete pour on Movable Scaffolding System Webster specially designed and built to construct the curved viaducts on the Mersey Gateway’s south approach viaduct.

Mersey gateway

The Mersey Gateway route spans three canals and the Mersey estuary

Pylons on the rise in May 2016

Pylons on the rise in May 2016

Mersey gateway

Mersey gateway

Mersey Gateway

Central pylon starts to take shape

Mersey gateway

Trestle bridge and cofferdam in place

Mersey gateway

First pylon cofferdam complete in December 2014

The bridge will use a free flow camera tolling system which will keep traffic moving quickly across the route. .

The Silver Jubilee Bridge will be closed for around 12 months of major refurbishment work, but will remain open to cyclists and pedestrians during this time.

There will be about a year’s worth of landscaping and other work to be finished off after the bridge opens, including the removal of the temporary trestle bridge across the river.

 

 

Latest news

BSR backlog swells as new build approvals run to 36 weeks

First official Government figures expose full extent of Gateway project logjam
3 days ago

Repair slowdown drags down construction output

New work activity rises in May despite overall 0.6% output fall
3 days ago

Equans suffers £29m loss as new build exit drags on

Refocused retrofit contractor still dogged by legacy losses despite profitable core work
3 days ago

Scaffolding trade body NASC facing discrimination claim

Former training manager to take trade body to Employment Tribunal
3 days ago

ACS lands lead role on Stafford transformers lab

Contractor to start main £20m expansion in live site environment
3 days ago

GRAHAM sees profits rise despite dip in turnover

Record order book as contractor confident about future prospects
3 days ago

Nixon Hire sells 200-strong welfare van fleet to Sunbelt

Sunbelt more than doubles mobile site welfare capability
4 days ago

Henry family and directors face claims topping £31m

Administrators chasing dividend payout, unpaid loans and family benefits
4 days ago

Vistry eyes second-half affordable homes work surge

Government rent reforms and funding pledges power-up work pipeline
4 days ago

JV picked to progress Severn-Thames water transfer plan

AtkinsRéalis and Stantec to map pipeline or canal link
4 days ago

Police catch on the run construction boss

Director missing for months after failing to appear in court after site death
4 days ago

Green light for £800m Poplar estate revamp

Construction to start next year at Teviot Estate
4 days ago

Civil engineering trade body boss leaves to join Mace

CECA Chief Executive Alasdair Reisner joins consulting arm
5 days ago

House builders offer £100m to drop competition probe

CMA set to strike deal with cash going to affordable housing programmes
5 days ago

Transport Secretary axes £1.4bn road jobs in south east

Alexander pulls plug on A12 and A47 upgrades in budget crackdown
5 days ago

Fusion taps HG for first Birmingham student job

622-bed Bristol Road scheme kicks off contractor’s Midlands push
5 days ago

VolkerWessels UK parent group to sell core Dutch business

UK, German and North American operations remain with Dutch owner Reggeborgh
5 days ago

Union claims sex pests are rife in construction

Shock assault figures following Unite survey of 100 workers
5 days ago

Green light for two more City of London towers

Combined 77 more storeys of office schemes approved
5 days ago

John F Hunt starts enabling works on £200m Strand Premier Inn

Main contractor due to be appointed this summer
5 days ago

£200m deal unlocks full 1,000-home Digbeth scheme

Caddick has started early works on the Moda-led Stone Yard project
6 days ago

10 big road and rail upgrades get funding green light

£1.3bn A66 dualling, Simister Island junction upgrade and Midlands Rail Hub get funding
6 days ago

Design, build and finance plan for £1bn Cheddar 2 reservoir

South West Water starts pre-bid market engagement on 75km pipeline and reservoir
6 days ago

Illegal working blitz catches Indian builders

Home Office raids target migrants working cash-in-hand on sites
7 days ago

Major Sizewell concrete win for local supplier

Eastern Concrete Ltd wins its biggest ever contract
6 days ago

SIG chief put on gardening leave

New CEO appointed as Gavin Slark steps down immediately
6 days ago

Adjustable hard hat launched for different hair types

AtkinsRéalis initiative will also make PPE more comfortable for bald builders
6 days ago

Lynch appeal sees £800,000 abnormal load fine reduced to £10k

Judge rules original fine was was 'manifestly excessive'
7 days ago

Government calls up firms to explore PPP healthcare projects plan

New public-private partnership idea to be scoped out with contractors
7 days ago

Balfour Beatty terminates Danny Sullivan labour deals

Around 500 workers on HS2 will be moved to alternative agencies or be taken on direct
1 week ago