Steel sections of Lowestoft's new Gull Wing Bridge arrive via barge
They've been towed across the North Sea from the Netherlands
Two major sections of Lowestoft's new Gull Wing Bridge have arrived in town via barge, as construction work continues on the new crossing.
The sections of the North Approach Viaduct took eight hours to cross the North Sea from Rotterdam. They weigh a combined 400 tonnes and will be lifted into place by a huge crane which has been assembled by the quayside.
The road bridge spanning Lake Lothing is being built at a cost of £148m and will be higher than the town's existing Bascule Bridge.
The new crossing is expected to open in December this year.
Simon Bretherton, Suffolk County Council Project Director, said: “This is another major step forward for the Gull Wing project and we continue to make good progress with construction."
“The arrival and installation of these two sections over the coming weeks are further signs of the bridge taking shape and which, once complete, will deliver a structure that will not only be iconic but also a positive and long-lasting legacy for jobs, businesses and connectivity for the town of Lowestoft and the wider area.”
Neil Rogers, project director on Gull Wing bridge for Farrans, said: “The arrival of NAV 2 and 3 marks another major milestone in the progress of this important infrastructure project for Suffolk County Council."
"Moving large steel structures such as these take months of planning, and we are pleased that they have arrived safely to their permanent home.
“This week we have also had the arrival of the crane that we will use to lift these sections of the bridge.
"The crane for NAV2 and 3 is a Liebherr LR1600. This is a 600-tonne capacity crane that is a little over twice the capacity of the crane currently working on the control tower (250t).
"It uses a super-lift system which means that it has a much greater lifting capacity at the same radius.”