Murphy’s enabling works on the M62 Motorway Bridge Replacement Project have continued at pace in recent months, seeing a range of impressive milestones achieved along the way. In the last period, the site team have poured 3 No Trestle Foundations to support the new structure as it is being built off-line in the site compound. The site team also constructed a concrete bell-mouth to create access directly from the M62 Westbound Carriage directly to the site compound. The bell-mouth is approximately 5m wide by 50m long – the large size of bell-mouth was required to enable delivery of the 46m long edge beams and for the future installation of the new bridge structure via SPMT. The haul road for the SMPT has also been completed. Due to the existing ground conditions and heavy weights of the new bridge structure and SPMT – a full highway carriageway specification was installed. But perhaps the most impressive milestone is the fabrication of Murphy’s largest ever Steel Bridge. Colleagues in Ireland completed assembly of the bridge structure in their recently opened fabrication shop in Newbridge, before welcoming members of the project team and client Network Rail for a trial assembly of the new structure. Network Rail were very impressed with both the structure and the new facilities. The two edge beams were then delivered overnight on Sunday 21 July. The edge beams were only permitted to travel overnight at 20mph and, due their size and weight, they were given a full police escort from leaving the fabrication shop in Newbridge to arrival on site in Rochdale via Holyhead Port. Following delivery, colleagues from Ireland have travelled to Rochdale and commenced the assembly of the new bridge structure within the site compound. By the time they are finished, over 5000 bolts will have been installed to fully assemble the bridge structure. Further ongoing works include the mobilisation of a satellite compound to facilitate the Permanent Way works. The compound will be used to build fifteen 18m Track Panels and a new S&C Panel in preparation of the core possession. The core possession is scheduled from 6 to 24 September and will require a full closure of the railway. The road closure will be supplemented by two weekend closures of the M62 Motorway, 6 to 9 and 20 to 23 September. During the first weekend closure, the existing bridge structure will be demolished in-situ and the new bridge structure will be installed via SPMT during the second weekend motorway closure. Night-time motorway closures are also planned during the weekend closures to allow the site team to undertake critical enabling works to the bridge abutments prior to receiving the new bridge. A Pre-Possession Briefing has been organised for the end of August, along with the support from our CDP team, to ensure that all personal involved in the core possession are ‘Fit to Start’ and ensure the works are delivered safely.
