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Deep Pit Bridge, Wigan
Project Overview
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A £100 million rail infrastructure project, the Wigan to Bolton electrification project, has upgraded the existing line, including modifications to 17 bridges. For two of these bridges, we were contracted to provide bespoke propping and jacking systems, along with precise movement monitoring, enabling the Deep Pit bridge to be lifted 1600mm off its abutments.
Our solution
Billy Darcy, Senior Engineer at Mabey Hire, explained: “Along with other structures along the line, the 150-year-old Grade II listed Deep Pit bridge had to be lifted, providing room for the new overhead line equipment to be installed underneath. This involved raising the 40-metre-long iron
truss footbridge 1600mm off its masonry abutments and resting it on temporary supports for six weeks over a live railway. Comprising of a pair of trestles at each end of the structure, our propping scheme enabled us to lift the bridge from above using DYWIDAG hanger system bars and our hollow ram hydraulic double action jacks, all linked to a sync pump.”
In a second phase just prior to the end of 2024, the 45-tonne Deep Pit footbridge was carefully lowered back onto its re-engineered abutment to rest on new bearings, 1075mm above its original height. In order to minimise disruption to rail users, much of the work was carried out at weekends, with the actual bridge lifts taking place during carefully planned nighttime or extended possessions.
We also supplied Mass 50 propping for the High Barn bridge, with similar works required to allow for the necessary alterations of the bearing shelves on the bridge. This required two sets of 75-tonne hydraulic jacks, due to the 420mm travel being just above the standard stroke of the equipment. Further complicating this task were site constraints, which made it impossible to sink
temporary foundations alongside the northern abutment. To work around this, we cooperated closely with structural engineers, Tony Gee & Partners, to design a base which spanned the rail line.
Project images
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“Both Deep Pit and High Barn were technically challenging bridge jacking projects, each with its own set of unique tasks. Mabey Hire’s design team provided crucial knowledge and equipment to provide bespoke solutions which allowed for speedy installation during the tight timeframes of railway blockades. The 24/7 monitoring solutions were invaluable for real time data, allowing for confidence in how the structure was performing under load while trains were running.”