Ten-tonne girders extend A1 bridge as part of Birtley to Coal House improvement

Six ten-tonne girders will be added to the side of the bridge carrying the A1 over the Kingsway Roundabout at junction 67 (Coal House) near Gateshead over the next three weeks.

The beams will enable a new third lane to be added to the dual carriageway as part of National Highways’ A1 Birtley to Coal House upgrade and will be lifted into place by a 200-tonne mobile crane positioned in the middle of the roundabout

National Highways Project Manager Helen Burrow said:

“Earlier this year we used high-pressure water to remove the concrete at the end of the existing bridge deck to expose the reinforcing steel which would enable the bridge deck to be extended. 

“We are now in a position to be able to begin lifting these girders into place and fix them to the existing bridge, giving us the foundations on which to add a new lane to the bridge.”

For the safe installation of the beams and some temporary works half the roundabout will be closed overnight, from 8pm to 6am.

From tomorrow night (Wednesday 9 November) until Friday 25 November either the northern or southern half of Kingsway Roundabout will be closed, depending where on the structure the team are working. Diversions will be clearly signed.

Once the beams and associated temporary works are installed, this will enable the construction of the new deck section over the coming few months. Details of this work and how it will affect journeys will be published nearer the time.

The girders cannot be lifted into place during periods of high winds for safety reasons. Should the work be postponed due to the weather new dates will be publicised in due course.

To keep up to date, visit the A1 Birtley to Coal House webpage.

Hear all the latest news from across the North East on the hour, every hour, on 97.1FM, 103FM DAB, at metroradio.co.uk, and on the Metro Radio app.