Superspan gantry closure for M1 smart motorway upgrade

Superspan gantry crossing the M1 near Sheffield to be installed overnight for smart motorway project

Contractors for Highways England will be installing an overhead gantry crossing the M1 near Sheffield, tonight when traffic levels are at their lowest.

The gantry will be erected between junction 35 at Rotherham and junction 36 at Barnsley overnight between 9pm and 6am, although the closure could be postponed if strong winds are forecast.

The “superspan” gantry will span both the northbound and southbound carriages of the motorway, and will be approximately 47 metres wide. The gantry weighs up to 30 tonnes and will require a 200 tonne crane to help install it as well as an overnight closure of the northbound carriageway. One lane will remain open on the southbound carriageway.

The gantry will carry messages and variable speed limit signs.

The works form part of the smart motorway project, which uses the latest technology used to monitor traffic levels and keep vehicles moving by using variable speed limits.

The hard shoulder will also be permanently converted into an extra lane to increase capacity.

Highways England Project Manager Arun Sahni said: “The erection of a ‘superspan’ is a big job that calls for a night closure on the northbound carriageway, but then they’re very big structures. You really get a sense of their size when they are on the ground waiting to go up.

“This gantry is also close to an overhead electric cable which is why we need to close the carriageway, so it’s important for people who use the motorway at night to plan their journeys.”

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