The final major bridge push on the Grantham Southern Relief Road is now underway, marking another significant milestone for one of Lincolnshire’s largest infrastructure projects.
Contractors are carrying out the third and final operation to move the 293-metre-long bridge into its permanent position across the East Coast Main Line and River Witham.
The bridge push is being carried over seven weekends, due to this stage of the bridge push taking place above the East Coast Main Line. This is for the safety of both the workforce and the rail line.
Cllr David East, executive member for highways, said: “The third and final bridge push is now underway, marking another major milestone for the Grantham Southern Relief Road.
“This bridge is the key to unlocking the rest of the scheme. Once it’s in place, we’ll be able to move on to the final stages of construction before opening the road in 2028.
“Getting to this point has required an enormous amount of planning, engineering expertise and teamwork. Moving a 2,500-tonne bridge across one of the country’s busiest railway lines while keeping it perfectly aligned is an incredible achievement.
“While the engineering is hugely impressive, what matters most is what this road will deliver for local people. Once open, it will reduce congestion, improve journey reliability, support new homes and businesses, and help create a better-connected Grantham for decades to come.”
When complete, the 3.5km Grantham Southern Relief Road will improve journey times, reduce congestion, delays and disruption across the town, and provide an important new route for traffic travelling around Grantham.
The scheme will also support economic growth by unlocking land for future development, improve access around the town and help create a safer, more attractive environment by reducing traffic through the town centre. Fewer vehicles travelling through central Grantham will also contribute to lower noise levels and reduced vehicle emissions.
Sam Edwards, head of highways infrastructure for Lincolnshire County Council, said: “The bridge is being moved extremely slowly, advancing only a few millimetres each minute, to ensure it remains perfectly aligned as it crosses both the River Witham and the East Coast Main Line before being lowered onto its permanent bearings.
“Once the bridge is fully in position, our focus will turn to completing the structure itself. This includes installing the remaining steelwork, constructing the bridge deck, fitting safety barriers, laying the road surface and completing the embankments that will connect the bridge to the new relief road.”
Planned schedule of works for the final bridge shunt
The East Coast Main Line will be closed from 12:30am to 7am over the following Sundays to allow for the final bridge push to take place:
- 30 August
- 6 September
- 13 September
- 20 September
- 27 September
- 4 October
- 11 October
Contingency dates have also been booked on the following dates, in case any of the earlier planned closures are affected by weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
- 18 October
- 25 October
- 1 November
Bridge facts and figures
- The bridge weighs approximately 2,500 tonnes
- It spans 293 metres in length and is 16 metres wide
- The bridge was manufactured by Briton Fabricators in Hucknall
- It features a composite steel and reinforced concrete deck
- The steel beams and piers are made from weathering steel to reduce long-term maintenance requirements
