Skip to main content

A wheely great bridge for the English city of Hull

A 60m pre-constructed pedestrian bridge weighing 150 tonnes as been wheeled into position over the A63 in the northern English city of Hull. The covered and vaulted Princess Quays Bridge will be renamed when it opens in the spring enabling pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the busy dual carriageway. The positioning operation meant that first the route was cleared of signage, guardrails and street lights. The bridge was then lowered onto two wheeled transporters – one at each end of the structur
November 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Driving it home: Hull’s newest pedestrian bridge, above the busy A63, is carefully positioned and eventually lowered onto its foundations
A 60m pre-constructed pedestrian bridge weighing 150 tonnes as been wheeled into position over the A63 in the northern English city of Hull.


The covered and vaulted Princess Quays Bridge will be renamed when it opens in the spring enabling pedestrians and cyclists to cross over the busy dual carriageway.
 
The positioning operation meant that first the route was cleared of signage, guardrails and street lights. The bridge was then lowered onto two wheeled transporters – one at each end of the structure -  and ‘driven’ across Myton Street and along the westbound carriageway of the A63 to the marina.

Finally, the structure required a multiple point turn to position it above the pylons onto which it was lowered and secured.

The bridge is covered by a curving steel canopy and when finished will have sheltered viewing balconies at each end. As part of the bridge construction there will be new landscaped public areas at both the Princes Quay and marina sides.

The 8100 Highways England project, which is the first phase of the A63 Castle Street road improvement scheme, will help link the city’s marina with the southern end of Princes Quay Dock.

“Our team worked exceptionally hard throughout the weekend to move the street furniture, prepare the route and position the bridge by wheeling it to its final destination,” said Tom Peckitt, Highways England project manager. “The team worked throughout the night after the installation to reopen the A63 15 hours ahead of schedule.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rising to the challenge
    July 18, 2012
    Visualise today's concept of a major commercial traffic corridor in the western United States. A roadway responsible for delivering goods to Arizona, Nevada and Utah, that also connects Mexico to the United States to Canada through the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). What springs to mind? A multi-lane highway carrying thousands of vehicles a day past cities at speeds up to 113km/hour, while egress ramps make sure vehicles get safely to city streets and their final destination. This is not the c
  • Bridge lift in Orlando for interstate rebuild
    July 4, 2019
    Measuring 33.8km long and costing US$2.3 billion, Orlando’s massive I-4 Ultimate is the largest infrastructure project in the Florida Department of Transportation’s history. Divided into four phases, the project requires major bridge work to improve traffic flow through Central Florida. In all, 13 existing structures are being widened, 53 new bridges added and 74 bridges replaced. Area 2, currently under construction, runs through Orlando from Highway 50 at the northern edge to the Highway 423/I-4 interc
  • Mullum Mullum Valley untouched by progress
    July 20, 2012
    Preserving the unspoiled Mullum Mullum Valley was the major consideration when deciding to build a traffic tunnel The answer to one of the major issues facing construction of the A$2.5 billion EastLink route in Australia was simple: construct a tunnel. While it was expensive, those involved realised they had little option but to go underground to protect the environmentally sensitive Mullum Mullum Valley, an untouched area of wood and bushland in Melbourne. EastLink, the 39km toll road project on the easter
  • Bridging the gap in African infrastructure
    December 20, 2013
    Leading formwork manufacturers have secured some impressive contracts in Africa, as the continent’s transport infrastructure continues to improve at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, other bridgework equipment companies are also seeing their products in demand in Africa, as well as North America and Australia.