During a night-time operation across Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May, the 60-metre bridge was lowered into position above the A45 in Solihull, West Midlands.
Two telescopic cranes and a team of 30 people were involved in the operation.
The bridge is now in position, with ramp steelwork, back of wall drainage and lighting to be completed before it opens to the public later this year.
“Since the project started more than 18 months ago, we have been working towards delivering this critical piece of infrastructure”, said Skanska project director Chris Good. “It has involved an incredible amount of design, planning and logistics management and we’re delighted to have completed it successfully, safely and on schedule.”
The bridge, designed by Mott MacDonald, will enable people to walk and cycle over the A45 between Clock Interchange Island and Junction 6 of the M42 near the Arden Hotel in Solihull.
The bridge was manufactured by Skanska’s fabrications business in Doncaster and is the biggest bridge structure it has built to date.
Once complete, the junction expansion project will improve access to HS2, the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham Airport. Skanska is building: a new 2.4km dual carriageway link road to the west of Bickenhill; a new junction 5a on the M42, 1.8km to the south of the existing Junction 6 (Solihull); and two new roundabouts north of the B4102 Solihull Road on either side of the M42 motorway.
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