Concrete finishing work has started on the completed north approach viaduct of England’s new 2.13km
Over the past three years, around 18,400m³of concrete was used to build the viaduct. When complete near the end of this year, around 60,000 vehicles are expected to use the toll bridge every day, or nearly 22 million vehicles annually.
Finishing work on the north viaduct involves water-proofing the deck, installing fascias along its sides and laying a road surface, said Hugh O’Connor, general manager for Merseylink Construction Joint Venture.
A range of specialist equipment was used to build the north approach viaduct, including the 280tonne wing-traveller machine used to build the outer road lanes on either side of the north approach viaduct. It followed Trinity, the 1,700tonne 157m-long movable scaffold system -MSS - which was used to build the central part of the carriageway.
Structural work continues on the south approach viaduct, which is expected to be finished this summer. Once complete, the two elevated approach roads will stretch across the saltmarsh on either side of the River Mersey, connecting the new bridge to the main road networks in the towns of Runcorn and Widnes.
Last month, construction of the bridge deck and stay cables also passed the halfway point.
The 2.13km Mersey Gateway Project, one of the largest infrastructure initiatives in the UK, is one of the government’s top 40 priority projects in the National Infrastructure Plan. The 1km-long six-lane bridge will consist of four spans supported from three towers in the estuary of the River Mersey near Liverpool. The 80m-high central tower will be shorter than the two outer towers, at 110m and 125m in height.
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