Network Rail have this morning carried out what to the crowds of locals watching looked to be a well planned and rehearsed project to move the new 4,200 tonne, 130 meter bridge that has been constructed at Clifton over the last year to replace the Westcoast mainline bridge across the M6.
The movement of the bridge got underway this morning just after 9am when four sets of machines called SPMTs (Self-Propelled Modular Transporters) that very slowly drove the 4,200-tonne structure into place on more than 600 wheels.
Once the new bridge reached its final location between two piers either side of the M6. Engineers began the process ensuring with millimetre precision the new bridge lowers into place to become part of the local skyline for the next 120 years and reconnect the rail infrastructure carrying the Westcoast mainline across the M6 at Clifton.
Trains will once again travel across the M6 at Clifton from Friday after the work to install new tracks and overhead wires is completed.
William Brandon Network Rail’s project manager speaking shortly after the new bridge was in place across the M6 this morning said “It's a new dawn, a new day and a new bridge reconnecting the West Coast mainline that's been severed for the last 10 days.”
We have just moved this into position and now we will be getting it millimetre perfect. So it might not look like lots happening but we need to get this perfect from an engineering point of view. Before clearing up the motorway and handing back at 5 o'clock on Monday morning and then we will be putting back the rail, the overhead line and reopening the railway on the 15th of January”.
“This is a moment in history and I'd like to say thank you to everyone who's been involved from the start of the project up to this point and all the way through to the end. Also, thank you to the travelling public and to all the local people who've put up with the disturbance we've caused and given so much support up to this point. Thank you.”
Timelapse by Network Rail.
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