Stretch of Telford's A442 closed as giant crane arrives to lift section of new bridge
The southbound section of the A442 in Telford is closed between Hollinswood and Wombridge from today until 3 July.
The section of road is being closed whilst one of Europe's largest cranes is assembled on the carriageway ahead of lifting the rail section of the new footbridge into place this weekend.
The crane itself is too large to be delivered as a single load and will be brought to site by 16, escorted, heavy duty wagons carrying abnormal loads.
The weight of the new railway bridge is estimated to be around 95 tonnes - that's the equivalent of more than seven double-decker buses.
The extreme weight and height involved in the lift means the whole operation is highly sensitive to weather conditions, particularly wind. Even low wind speeds may result in the lift being postponed until conditions improve to allow for the safe lifting of the bridge. As a contingency, the crane will be on site until Wednesday, July 3.
Keen engineers and interested residents will be able to watch the lift via a live stream from the Telford & Wrekin Youtube channel and a viewing platform will be set up at a safe distance should people wish to watch this milestone in the town's development, although the lift will take place between 1am and 4am in the early hours of Sunday.
A live HD view of the work is currently being broadcast at http://www.telford.gov.uk/footbridge
Road Closures
The southbound section of the A442 will be closed from June 27 to July 2 and overnight closures on the northbound lanes will also be in place for safety precautions while the bridge is lifted.
Motorists are being urged to avoid using the A442 if at all possible and find alternative routes across Telford or the Town Centre.
Telford & Wrekin Council says if you can, take the opportunity to walk, cycle or car share to work. The trains will be unaffected too so that’s another way to get into the town centre.
The immediate routes off the A442 could be extremely busy during this period so there may be some disruption. You may wish to allow additional travel time.
Here is the full break down of when the roads will be closed:
Wednesday 27 June Northbound OPEN Southbound CLOSED
Thursday 28 June Northbound OPEN Southbound CLOSED
Friday 29 to Tuesday July 3 Northbound CLOSED Southbound CLOSED
Are the trains operating?
The trains will be in full operation during the six day closure and are not affected.
Is the current pedestrian footbridge to the train station open?
The bridge will be closed on Saturday evening but this will be after the last train and will have very little impact on the public.
The bridge will remain fully open until the last train leaves on the evening of Saturday, June 30 and will remain closed during the bridge lift until the early hours of Sunday morning. The bridge will be opened in time for the first train Sunday morning.
When will the lift be finished?
The roads, if all goes to plan, should be open by Tuesday 3 July.
The lifting of the bridge is subject to wind conditions. If it cannot be lifted in by 4am due to weather conditions on Sunday July 1, then the closures may be extended to allow a second attempt in the early hours of Monday, July 2 night.
The final section of the footbridge should be finished and opened to the public around December 2018.
The railway bridge is the smaller of two bridges to be lifted in place. The second main bridge is currently being constructed on site and will be lifted into place during September.
