14 February 2008
The 800-tonne Freckleton
Street Bridge has been moved into place thanks to a team from
Capita Symonds’ Blackburn office.
Capita Symonds Highway and Infrastructure team
is overseeing the £8m bridge project - a central part of Blackburn
with Darwen Borough Council’s plans for the area’s
regeneration.
The previous four-span bridge was restricted
to single lane one-way traffic flow from south to north and was
assessed as sub–standard in load carrying capacity. The new scheme
– which is due top open in June - involves construction of a new
bridge and associated road-works that will also form part of the
Blackburn Orbital Route – a £10m overhaul of all the major access
routes into Blackburn town centre.
It took a team of 26 more than fours hours –
well ahead of schedule - to manoeuvre the bridge 25 metres into
place. Technical Director Faris Samin explains: “The sliding
of the bridge was a key moment in what has been a complex and
innovative project. Work soon got underway and we are delighted
with the progress so far – it’s a milestone in terms of nearing the
end of the project.”
Demolition of the original bridge took place
in October 2006 while construction of the new structure began in
September last year. When opened the dual carriageway bridge will
form part of £12m scheme to transform the area with a major new
road creating a link from Bolton Road to Barbara Castle Way. The
final piece of the route will be the £4m section of road linking
the bridge to Montague Street, which is not due to finish until at
least 2009.
The new bridge will consist of a single span
78m span steel bowstring arch with a steel/concrete composite deck
carrying a dual carriageway. The footways will be carried on
cantilevers from the arch ties and the arch members will be of
tubular section and twin arches connected at their crowns will be
provided at each edge of the deck. Substructures will be of
reinforced concrete construction on piled foundations
Funding for the scheme has been approved by
the Department for Transport through the Local Transport Plan.