Bridging the Gap for Hoobrook Link Road
We've been busy delivering the Hoobrook Link Road which will connect the A451 Stourport Road through to the A442 Worcester Road.
The development required the delivery of several steel beams to form a bridge over the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Stour River.
The bridge components consisted of six sections measuring between 15.5m and 27.8m long, which once on site in Kidderminster would be used to construct the complete bridge structure. However, the first phase of the project involved transporting the beams under escort from their point of manufacture at Allerton Steel in Northallerton the short distance to Middlesbrough for shot blasting.
In mid-November our Team took to the road once again, collecting the beams from Middlesbrough for onward delivery to site in Kidderminster. Again travelling under escort and with all the required permits and notifications in place, the beams left Middlesbrough and arrived safely on site.
Once all deliveries were completed the six beams were amalgamated to form two 160 Tonne sections, each measuring an impressive 58m long. These two sections would then form the new bridge, although, due to the layout of the delivery site, the bridge sections had to be constructed at the top of a hill close to the river. This required some expert planning from the Collett Team to facilitate delivery to the river side. Although only a short distance the challenge of transporting such lengthy cargoes down a progressive incline certainly posed a logistical challenge.
Having undertaken several site visits and with a firm plan in place we mobilised the fleet, setting off for Kidderminster with two ballast tractors, two 8 axle bogie trailers complete with turntables and a power booster module.
One early December morning our Team set to work, loading the first section from its position on stools at the top of the hill. Due to the gradient of the incline, our team very carefully manoeuvred the load down the hill towards the river, utilising the hydraulic capabilities of the bogie trailers and turntables to ensure that the lengthy cargo remained stable during the descent. With the power booster attached to the bogie trailer at the front of the combination and a ballast tractor at the rear, the bridge section descended the slope, arriving safely to the river side directly under the hook of an awaiting 750 Tonne crane complete with Super lift.
Under the watchful eye of local media, contractors and councillors, the bridge section was secured to the crane and hoisted over the river, one down, one to go. After a well-earned tea break our Team headed back up the hill ready to tackle the second bridge section. Following the exact same procedure we loaded the second bridge section to the trailers and set off down the hill. By mid-afternoon the second section arrived alongside the crane ready for lifting the following morning. Another job expertly completed by the Collett Team!
Working closely with specialist structural fabrication manufacturers, Allerton Steel and leading civil engineering project contractors Alun Griffiths throughout, Collett provided logistical heavy transport solutions for each stage of the project from point of manufacture to final delivery on site.
The building of the bridge marks a key milestone in the Hoobrook Link Road Project, due for completion in Summer 2016, the Link Road will provide improved access, connect two key employment corridors, promote much needed economic growth and relieve traffic congestion.
