Mersey Gateway Project reaches half-way point across the Mersey

The Mersey Gateway project in England has passed a significant milestone, with over half of the main bridge deck stretching across the River Mersey. Work to install stay cables on the main bridge also passed a key point, with installation of the 31st 150m long cable – the halfway point for stay cable installations on the pylon. When complete, 146 stay cables will support the 1km-long reinforced concrete bridge, with a combined load-bearing weight of more than 53,000tonnes. “We’re now more than 50
March 10, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The 6126 Mersey Gateway project in England has passed a significant milestone, with over half of the main bridge deck stretching across the River Mersey.

Work to install stay cables on the main bridge also passed a key point, with installation of the 31st 150m long cable – the halfway point for stay cable installations on the pylon.
 
When complete, 146 stay cables will support the 1km-long reinforced concrete bridge, with a combined load-bearing weight of more than 53,000tonnes.
 
“We’re now more than 50% through this highly visual phase of the Mersey Gateway construction,” said Gareth Stuart, project director of the Merseylink construction joint venture. “People will be able to see the stay cables connected to the bridge deck as it emerges across the river week by week.”
 
Each stay cable consists of up to 91 steel strands that sit inside a stay pipe – the outer casing that provides protection from weathering. More than 1,300km of the strands will be used on the project.

Every single strand needs to be installed individually, explained Merseylink’s design manager, George Moir. “It’s gone well so far, and we’re installing around six stays per week from the three pylons. The first two strands are threaded through the stay pipe then the tower crane lifts the pipe up to the anchor point in the upper pylon where the top ends of the strands are fixed into place.
 
“The bottom ends of the strands are then attached to the anchor point in the bridge deck and stressed using a hydraulic system. This enables us to get the correct level of tension needed to support that segment of bridge deck,” said Moir. “We then use a winch system through the stay pipe to winch the remaining strands up one by one. Once all of the strands have been installed they sit in parallel inside the stay pipe to form the stay cable.”
 
The stay cables vary in length; with the shortest measuring approximately 41m and the longest measuring 226m.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • First concrete beam raised for new Mersey bridge link
    December 11, 2015
    The first concrete bridge beam for a junction on the new Mersey Gateway route has been lifted into place. Work is underway on a major road junction for the Mersey Gateway Project, with the first of 156 of the concrete beams has been lifted into place as work ramps up at a major road junction. A 550tonne capacity crane lowered the 106tonne beam into position at the Bridgewater junction in Runcorn, where the new Astmoor Bridgewater viaduct is being built over the Bridgewater canal. Two elevated slip roads ar
    Read More
  • First deck span completed for Mersey Gateway's north approach viaduct
    April 4, 2016
    The Mersey Gateway Project achieved another milestone as the first deck span for the elevated north approach viaduct was completed. Work started on site in May 2014 to build a six-lane toll bridge over the Mersey River between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and opening is set for the autumn of 2017. As well as construction of the new bridge, works include the upgrading of 7km of highway to the north and south of the river - the main bridge is 2.2km long – and changing traffic flow so the majority of tra
    Read More
  • Mersey Gateway Bridge has won IABSE’s Outstanding Structure Award
    September 19, 2019
    The UK’s Mersey Gateway Bridge has picked up the Outstanding Structure Award 2019 from IABSE, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering* Judges described the bridge, designed by Cowi, as "an elegantly integrated solution for a multi-span concrete cable stay bridge in which form follows function". "Everyone involved with the design and construction the Mersey Gateway Bridge over the past six years knows that this is an incredibly special structure,” said Paul Sanders, Cowi’s p
    Read More
  • Mersey Gateway Bridge has won IABSE’s Outstanding Structure Award
    June 25, 2019
    The UK’s Mersey Gateway Bridge has picked up the Outstanding Structure Award 2019 from IABSE, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering*. Judges described the bridge, designed by Cowi, as "an elegantly integrated solution for a multi-span concrete cable stay bridge in which form follows function". "Everyone involved with the design and construction the Mersey Gateway Bridge over the past six years knows that this is an incredibly special structure,” said Paul Sanders, Cowi’s
    Read More

Highlighted Content