Ainscough lifts Welsh bridge
28 February 2018Ainscough Crane Hire’s Heavy Cranes Division has positioned a new footbridge spanning the main A465 Heads of the Valleys Road at Gilwern in Monmouthshire.
The lift was made using a 1000t Liebherr LTM 11000 D crane – the largest in Ainscough’s fleet. The single-span bridge will provide a pedestrian and cycling link over the newly duelled carriageway.
Manufactured by Briton Fabricators from cor-ten steel, it has an unusual twisted design. Andrew Clark, planning and technical support manager from Ainscough Crane Hire said: “At 57m, single span bridges do not often come much longer than this and it was a pleasure to be involved in the project”
The A465 is recognised in the Welsh Government’s National Transport Plan as a strategically important route and its upgrade to a dual carriageway extends for 8.1km from Brynmawr to Gilwern.
The scheme includes the construction of 14 major structures, over 12.5km of various types of retaining walls as well as excavation of over 1.2 million m3 of earthworks, all of it through an extremely narrow rock gorge with a river on one side while maintaining current traffic flows on the existing route.
