Bridge that Gap: Great Central Railway News

Hope it doesn't breakdown then and need to be replaced.

 

This weekend should see more work on the A60 Bridge as they are due to put the large concrete "caps" on top of the brick abutments I believe.

 

Phil . Looks like next stage has been put back a week as the next road closure has been rescheduled.

 

Thanks for that update Mogulb. I knew that they had originally scheduled to have closures this weekend and next weekend. I also heard that they may be trying to do it all in one weekend so possibly all done next weekend???

 

Phil. According to one network there is also a closure planned for 18 to 21 November.

 

Looks like the new concrete abutment caps have been fitted to the A60 bridge.

 

Thanks for posting that clip J Rob't. It is great to see the progress.

 

The condensed version of the weekends work has now been put online....

 

There was no work being done yesterday (unless they are awaiting it to cure before doing bits?) so I presume it is all ready for the decks to go up on the 19/20th

 

Of interest, what sort of headroom will the highway have beneath the reinstated bridge?

 

"An extra few inches" is said on a GCR press release. The old bridge was stated as 4.3m and I suspect the new one will be 4.4m/4.5m, but we will have to see. The constraints are that the roadway floods and the rail track cannot have a greater gradient coming off from the Midland Main Line up the chord line.

 

This weekend should see the new bridge decks being put on the abutments. It is also the "Last Hurrah Gala" on the GCR with an intensive timetable - including that "lengthy train" of Windcutter 16T minerals operating mid day on Sat and Sunday. In a few years time it will be fantastic to see them going North over the new bridges!

 

Work is progressing steadily this weekend and there is a large crane now in place by the A 60 bridge and a lorry, with one of the decks, all ready to be off loaded.

 

Deck placement now live on YT.....

 

At the A 60 bridge tonight I was told that both decks and the two anti- collision beams are in place. The big crane is being dis-assembled and the grouting etc should be done tomorrow. Then is needs some special matting, signage, ballast and track!

 

Bridge deck video.....

 

Here is my picture, taken today, of the new A60 bridge.

 

Gained 3 inches headroom judging by the new sign on the bridge, compared to the old one at the road side.

 

Yes but life isn't that simple. If you look here:
https://www.hgvalliance.com/Helpful-Guides/bridge-strike/low-bridge-finder/uk
The bridge was already shown as 14'6" - maybe one of the reasons there were so many bridge strikes?
So in effect the height gained is just to put the bridge where the HGV drivers already thought it was.
I seem to recall someone telling me there were 14'6" signs further out as well (although I haven't confirmed this personally). So I suspect that 3" had been lost to road re-surfacing over the years.

 

That does look like a fine piece of civil engineering. I’ve said it before, the scale and complexity of the GCR’s works would be a challenge for much larger organisations so I can only assume that the GCR has some some decent civil engineers or project managers in its ranks!