Skip to main content

Mersey Gateway Bridge project progress

Work is well in hand on the Mersey Gateway Bridge project in the UK. The bridge construction work has now reached a major milestone. The south pylon of the Mersey Gateway has been completed, marking the project’s highest point in the River Mersey estuary. The south pylon stands 125m high, with the north pylon due to be completed in the next few days. The smaller central pylon, which is due to be finished in November, will be 80m high. A specialist automatic climbing system is being used to construct the
October 6, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The Mersey Gateway Bridge project in the UK has reached a major milestone in its construction
Work is well in hand on the 6126 Mersey Gateway Bridge project in the UK. The bridge construction work has now reached a major milestone. The south pylon of the Mersey Gateway has been completed, marking the project’s highest point in the River Mersey estuary. The south pylon stands 125m high, with the north pylon due to be completed in the next few days. The smaller central pylon, which is due to be finished in November, will be 80m high.

A specialist automatic climbing system is being used to construct the bridge pylons. This equipment builds one vertical 5m section at a time. It then repeatedly climbs upwards to create the next section until the structure is complete. Construction teams have completed 30 sections for the south pylon and 27 for the north pylon. In all, 21 sections will be built for the central pylon. A total of 2,230m3 of concrete was poured for the south pylon, and 1,890m3 for the north pylon.

Gareth Stuart, project director at Merseylink, said, “Hitting the highest point on the project is a significant milestone and it’s a testament to the tenacity and expertise of our construction crews who have worked extremely hard, often in challenging conditions, to get the job done. We’ll be holding a special site celebration to thank all of the teams involved.”

The next phase of work involves installing steel stay cables to connect the three bridge pylons to the main bridge deck. This will begin in the next couple of weeks. Halton’s six-lane river crossing is on schedule to open in autumn 2017.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Germany's advanced bridge construction
    February 24, 2012
    The A98 single-lane motorway in Germany is being extended by a second pair of lanes. Work began in 2007 and required building a second bridge at Rheinfelden in the south-west of the country, parallel to the existing bridge, and identical in design and construction.
  • Cranes coming down on Gordie Howe Bridge
    June 30, 2025
    The Gordie Howe International Bridge will route traffic away from more populated areas and directly connect Highway 401 in the Canadian province of Ontario with the Interstate 75 in the US state of Michigan.
  • Doka delivers cantilevering for super-slim piers at Lahntal Bridge
    October 21, 2016
    Doka’s formwork expertise is currently in demand during the construction of one of the busiest motorway viaducts in Germany. The 400m six-lane Lahntal Bridge in Limburg dates from the early 1960s. Every day about 100,000 vehicles cross the bridge that spans the valley of the River Lahn. But traffic loads have increased sharply, so a new bridge is being built sited just a few metres west of the old viaduct. The new Lahntal viaduct will measure a massive 43.5m in width, enabling eight lanes plus hard shoul
  • Mersey Gateway shortlist revealed
    March 14, 2012
    The shortlist of three bidders for the US$942million (£600m) plus Mersey Gateway Project in North West England has been revealed.