The last bridge beams for a new junction on the M11 were lifted into place last night following four overnight closures.
Civils contractor Graham completed the beam installation over a two-week period for what will be the new 7a junction at Harlow in Essex.
The four overnight closures were used to facilitate offline rigging and de-rigging of the main lifting crane and to allow for the installation of all permanent formwork panels to the deck and the permanent bracing between the pairs of beams.
The new Mores Overbridge forms an crucial part of the £39.5m project to create a new junction between the existing junctions 7 at Harlow and 8 at Stansted on the M11, providing a new east-west link through the Essex town.
A ‘dumbbell roundabout’ arrangement will connect to new northbound and southbound on-slips and off-slips.
Commenting on the development, Graham project manager David Slevin said: “The scale of the overall operation to complete these works was huge.
“With a 600-tonne capacity crawler crane being deployed for the main lifts the establishment of the crane platforms, crane assembly area and beam assembly and delivery areas proved highly challenging tasks.
“Thankfully, we were able to call on the vast engineering experience of our team and the teams of our supply chain partners to complete the delivery, lifting, ad installations without any issues arising.
“We now shift our focus onto the next phase of works in this important infrastructure project, which will provide major benefits for Harlow and its surrounding areas.”
The major earthworks operations and drainage installation works on the scheme are now underway on the junction and link road into Harlow.
These works are for completion in autumn 2021.
The surfacing, fencing, landscaping, and other finishing works are set to continue into 2022.
Main image: Graham
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