Timelapse video shows Highways England complete major feat in 76 hours

A timelapse video has been released showing how a 4,000 tonne bridge was slid into place under a railway line in under 76 hours.

The bridge was placed under the railway line at the Port of Immingham over Christmas, with more than 100 contractors from Highways England working from Christmas Eve to complete the major engineering feat.

The work was part of the £88.4M Highways England project, which aims to improve access to one of the UK’s busiest ports. The plans come as part of the government’s five-year Road Investment Strategy.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said: “This impressive engineering feat is an important step towards improving access to this major UK port and is part of the government’s record £15Bn road investment strategy”.

In a complex piece of engineering, the bridge was slid into position by four hydraulic jacks weighing more than five tonnes each, with a total of 20,000 tonnes of earth removed from the existing railway embankment. The team worked with 40 and 20 tonne excavators, 35 tonne long-reach excavators, a bulldozer and eight dump trucks.

Highways England worked with Network Rail and local stakeholders to ensure the scheme was successful.

The new road under the railway will lead to the construction of a one-way system to and from the port, allowing easier access and a greater capacity.

The port of Immigham is the UK’s busiest port, contributing £460M to the regional economy each year.

Simon Bird, Humber Director at the port’s owner Associated British Ports (ABP), said: “As such, connectivity is crucial and these improvements will facilitate traffic flow and will have a positive impact on freight movements, which will in turn ensure the future success of the port.”

The project began in March and is due to be completed in Autumn 2016.

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