M1 closed for installation of new bridge
A BRIDGE weighing almost 1,200 tonnes of concrete and steel was successfully launched across the M1 at the weekend.
The bridge - when it opens in autumn 2018 - will form part of the Kegworth Bypass and should reduce the amount of traffic and HGVs travelling through the historic village by around 60 per cent.
It forms part of the wider infrastructure improvements being made as part of SEGRO Logistics Park East Midlands Gateway, the 700-acre ‘inland port’ which combines links to the M1 and East Midlands Airport. It will also include a 50-acre rail freight terminal and is set to create around 7,000 jobs.
The project team from SEGRO, Roxhill and Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd worked closely with Highways England and local councils as well as the emergency services and teams at East Midlands Airport to ensure the smooth running of the operation which saw the M1 close from junctions 23A to junction 24.
The size and scale of the bridge, along with the confines of the airport, required a specialist type of heavy plant transporter, known as a self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT), to move the bridge, rather than a traditional crane.
The bridge was constructed in a modular fashion, on site next to the M1 with the steel sections being transported from Cleveland Bridge UK limited based in Darlington.
In the weeks leading up to the launch of the bridge, alterations were made to the M1 which included filling in the central reservation and removing street furniture to enable a clear path for the bridge to be driven over the motorway by the SPMT.
In the late hours of Friday, May 11, the section of the motorway was closed and the diversion was put in place, the equipment moved into place and so began the start of the race against time to get the structure across the motorway.
Throughout Saturday, the bridge was manoeuvred over the motorway with engineers conducting precision checks and balances throughout the process with final adjustments made prior to the bridge deck landing on the bearings.
Andrew Pilsworth, SEGRO’s business unit director, national logistics, said: “The successful installation is the result of an extensive programme of planning and coordination with our partners, and we thank them for their ongoing collaboration and support.
“We would also like to thank all motorists who experienced delays to their journey over the weekend for their patience and understanding.”