Concrete pour begins on Mersey Gateway project

Merseylink’s construction teams are currently building three giant pylons that will support the Mersey Gateway Bridge.

The concrete pour took place yesterday for the South pylon foundation and saw 1,4000cu m of concrete pumped into the south cofferdam, non-stop for around 24 hours.

The three pylon foundations will sit under the riverbed and will each measure 4.5m high and up to 22m in diameter.

George Houston, Merseylink’s site agent, said that the concrete pour is one the largest concrete pours he has been involved with: “We’re using a massive amount of concrete – over 600 truckloads just for the three pylon foundations. It’s an extremely technical part of the project and our teams will be working round the clock to get the job done.”

In total, around 127,000 cu m of concrete will be used throughout the project. All concrete used on the project is tested rigorously at the project’s UKAS accredited site laboratory to ensure that the mixture is the correct strength and composition.

The foundations are built by constructing a concrete base layer within the cofferdams. A reinforced steel cage is then made and encased in steel matting, with a working platform also installed to create aces for site employees.

The next step sees upright steel reinforcement bars fixed into the centre of the cage to form the beginnings of the pylon shaft. Once the assembly work is complete, the concrete pour can begin.

As each pylon foundation is finished, work will then start on the pylon shafts. The formwork will then be crane-lifted into place and attached to the pylon foundation for the concrete to be poured into.

The pylon will begin to increase in size, as the formwork will move up the pylon shaft. Each section of the shaft is estimated to take around five days to build.

Hugh O’Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, said: “Starting work on the bridge pylons marks another significant step for this important infrastructure project. Work is progressing at pace now on all sections of the site and a huge amount of activity will be taking place over the next few months.”

Rob Polhill, leader of Halton Borough Council and chair of the Mersey Gateway Crossings Board, said: “This is an important time for Halton. What we are seeing really is history in the making and we have a lot to look forward to in the future. Every construction milestone brings our new bridge one step closer. It’s going to be exciting to see the bridge pylons form in the estuary and I, for one, will be watching with interest.”

In terms of economic benefits, the project will see the creation of 470 permanent full-time equivalent jobs on site during construction, with 4,640 permanent direct and indirect positions also created. By 2030, £61.9M a year in Gross Value Added will be generated from the new employment.

The bridge is due to open in 2017.

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