Launching a 54m modular bridge for critical infrastructure repairs
Scotch Bridge, Weston-on-Trent
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When a temporary bridge was required near Weston-on-Trent to facilitate critical electricity infrastructure repairs, on the back of major flooding, Balfour Beatty sought our advice and guidance. Faced with evolving and challenging site restrictions, the bridge design and installation had to be adapted, relying on early engagement and collaboration for a successful delivery.
The challenge
After the River Trent burst its banks near Weston-on-Trent, the resulting flood caused significant damage to the area’s electricity infrastructure, including the collapse of two major pylons, placing undue strain and stress on the National Grid. Due to the rural location, access was seriously restricted, raising concerns over how the heavy plant equipment and traffic needed to repair the pylons would reach the site safely, including travelling over the Trent and Mersey Canal.
With the existing bridge (Scotch Bridge) being a Grade II listed structure and carrying a 10-tonne weight limit, Balfour Beatty – contracted by the National Grid – made the decision to consult with us.
Speaking about the project, Andrew Harrison, Senior Temporary Works Coordinator at Balfour Beatty, said: “We’ve worked with the team at Mabey Hire on numerous bridging projects before and so knew we could rely on their experience and expertise. That was especially valuable here, as it was definitely not a straightforward job!
“Our initial proposal was to crane lift in a temporary bridge and install it parallel to the existing Scotch Bridge. However, given this itself would require a 500-tonne crane and the surrounding bridges had a maximum weight allowance of 59 tonne, this was simply not possible. Then there was the added challenge of where to land the bridge on the opposite side of the canal. We were initially faced with a historic contaminated waste site, forcing us to re-design the scheme onto an angle, rather than parallel. Then the discovery of a medieval water mill prevented us from being able to excavate for the temporary abutments.
Our solution
“All of these challenges and constraints made early engagement and collaboration with Mabey Hire and other stakeholders even more valuable. Being a critical infrastructure project, time was of the essence. It was a collaborative effort to come up with the optimum solution and design, relying on Mabey Hire’s engineering experience with different bridge installations and applications. The final decision was made to launch the bridge, after first assembling the structure on site using modular components.”
With a total clear span of 39 metres for the main span, the temporary bridge featured 13 bays, in addition to five bays (15m) for the adjacent span and down ramp, assembled using our Compact 200 panel bridge.
Ian Roberts, Major Projects Sales Manager at Mabey Hire commented: “Our Senior Project Engineer, Mara-Maria Alexandru, worked closely with the team at Balfour Beatty on the scheme design. Our Construction Team headed up by Robert Williams, Site Manager, & James Grundy, Project Manager/ Coordinator, then supplied and installed the temporary bridge on site.
“Given the site constraints, we tail-launched the bridge with a 5-bay counterweight, whereby the deck was gradually assembled on site and then pushed over to the opposite bank using rollers. As a result of the sloping ground levels, we chose to use the nose of the bridge as the down ramp, which was jacked down onto a lower foundation than the main bridge. This saved Balfour Beatty around 1,500 tonnes of stone on constructing a makeshift ramp.”
To avoid disruption to canal traffic, the Canals & River Trust granted a 30-minute stoppage period for the bridge installation, meaning accuracy and coordination was essential.
Andrew concluded: “The launch successfully took place on 28th May and the bridge will remain in-situ until the electricity repair works are completed – expected to be in December 2026. The support from Mabey Hire and their engineering teams has been excellent, especially given the design changes that were needed. The proposed scheme design was always promptly adapted and any changes actioned quickly.”
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“The launch successfully took place on 28th May and the bridge will remain in-situ until the electricity repair works are completed – expected to be in December 2026. The support from Mabey Hire and their engineering teams has been excellent, especially given the design changes that were needed. The proposed scheme design was always promptly adapted and any changes actioned quickly.”