en.Wedoany.com Reported - A 1,250-tonne crawler crane completed the installation of key components of a road bridge over the East Coast Main Line (ECML) during the early May bank holiday weekend (May 2-3). One of the largest cranes in Europe was subsequently dismantled. The bridge installation is part of the York Central scheme, led by main contractor Sisk, involving the placement of seven 86.2-meter-long steel beams to unlock a critical bottleneck in this £2.5 billion city regeneration project.
The York Central scheme, described as one of the UK's largest city centre regeneration and urban extension projects, will be developed on a 45-hectare brownfield site west of York's medieval walled city. This former railway land will be transformed into a new city district, including up to 2,500 new homes, cultural facilities, and a rebuilt National Railway Museum. The project is being delivered by the York Central Partnership, a joint venture between government housing agency Homes England, Network Rail, City of York Council, and The National Railway Museum, in collaboration with strategic developers McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate.
The seven steel beams are crucial for supporting a 17-meter-wide bridge deck, which will accommodate a dual carriageway, segregated pedestrian and cycle paths on the eastern footway, and a dedicated footway on the western side. This route will connect Park Street in the south with Water End in the north. In addition to serving as the main access route into York Central, the overbridge will have a special function: occasionally transporting railway vehicles to the museum. More importantly, it provides access for construction material deliveries for the York Central scheme. Alan Rodger, Managing Director of Sisk Infrastructure, stated that the overbridge and road are included within the approximately £180 million York Central works package, and the bridge is a key component connecting all parts together.
Rodger reflected on the highly complex factors influencing the bridge installation, including geotechnical challenges addressing difficult ground conditions (made ground, glacial sand and gravel), Roman archaeological discoveries, and unexploded ordnance from World War II. Soil reinforcement was particularly critical for the embankment adjacent to the overbridge and the piled foundations required for the bridge structure. Additionally, existing culvert drains on site needed to be removed and a new one constructed, also requiring piling. Rodger noted that the biggest challenge for Sisk was the planning involved with parties such as Network Rail. Preparations took months due to York Central being one of the busiest junctions in the UK.
Bridge components were manufactured off-site by local suppliers, for example, the steel beams were produced by steelwork specialist Severfield. These components were delivered to site and stored in a large laydown area on the north side near the bridge installation position. Sisk undertook extensive detailed planning to organise two night shifts for the lifting operation. Besides time constraints, the site faced challenges of being surrounded by railway lines, residential areas, and the National Railway Museum, with access almost landlocked. Rodger stated that all the hard work was in the preparation phase, and the installation itself went smoothly. Sisk was appointed to the scheme in 2022 under an NEC3 Option C contract and monitors progress by creating a project board. Early contractor involvement was key, enabling Sisk to engage with all stakeholders and bring in the supply chain, such as Severfield, for coordination.
Tony Gee served as the lead design consultant for the overbridge, with its Executive Director Karen Hoad confirming the team worked with Sisk pre-tender, using early contractor involvement to optimise the design. The bridge lift benefited from careful design and sequencing, for example, the two outer beams each contained an integrated arch, with the entire unit lifted as a whole. Inherent site challenges led to the final decision for a very slender structure, a solution that is both lightweight and low-carbon. The presence of the ECML beneath the bridge also influenced the design, making the deck as slender as possible to minimise the overall impact. A "somewhat quirky" aspect of the bridge is its "unusually high" 58-degree skew, dictated by the road alignment. Beams sitting on the abutments require high uplift resistance to ensure effective connections, a technique commonly used for large skew spans. A separate wrap structure behind the abutments handles reinforced soil pressures, separating the load-bearing abutment from the lateral earth pressure of the embankment, reducing structural stress.
Designed for a 120-year lifespan, the overbridge is configured for minimal maintenance, with no bearings and made from weathering steel, eliminating the need for repainting. There was much debate over who would be responsible for maintaining various elements of the scheme, with a rough demarcation line drawn at the waterproofing layer. City of York Council is responsible for maintaining the highway and embankment structure, while Network Rail is responsible for maintaining the main structure.
Following the bridge installation, work on the new road, footways, and cycle paths is progressing rapidly, with the bridge expected to open in 2027. City of York Council Leader Claire Douglas stated that the bridge lift was a huge milestone for the project, given the site is landlocked and cut in half by the East Coast Main Line. It is an engineering feat and an example of efficient partnership working. Planning permission was granted in 2019, and infrastructure works opened for operation last summer. Looking ahead, collaboration on community engagement and social value are co-benefits of the scheme, for example, through partnerships with institutions like York College to ensure the skills and talent pipeline needed for the construction site over this 10 to 15-year project.
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