Crane brought in for demolition job

AHUGE crane is to be manoeuvred into place in Runcorn as part of demolition of the Trumpet Loop flyover continues.

The machinery is being deployed for the removal of three bridges along the route including over Station Road and Picow Farm Road.

Halton Borough Council said the crane will lower the beams to ground level, before they are broken down and transported away.

The bridge deck will be removed and the piers will be demolished by machines that ‘munch’ the concrete to below ground level.

Work is due to be completed at the end of April 2020.

A Halton spokeswoman

Council said the road structures are no longer needed because of the reconfiguration of the road network, following the opening of the Mersey Gateway, with traffic travelling through the borough now directed over the new bridge.

This means that when the Silver Jubilee Bridge re-opens, it will be used primarily by borough traffic, cyclists and pedestrians.

When the ‘delinking’ of the Silver Jubilee Bridge is completed, the landscape around the Runcorn Station area will be completely transformed.

A roundabout is being created intended to make journeys faster, and the town centre will be visible from Runcorn Station for the first time in decades.

Removing the flyover is also intended to create space for the development of the Station Quarter regeneration project including leisure facilities, housing and space for businesses, and to form a welcoming gateway to the town.

Tim Gibbs, the council’s operational director for policy, planning and transportation, said: “It is only a short distance from Runcorn Station to the town centre, but at the moment people using the station do not make the walk because the concrete wall that greets them is such a barrier.

“With it gone, we hope this will change. The whole area outside the station will be brighter and more welcoming, creating a much better first impression of the town.

“I cannot wait to see the results.”