Everwilling Cranes was brought in to remove two canopies, which each weighed 30t and measured 43m-long by 15m-wide.
The M4 motorway was opened in 1992 and was Sydney’s first toll road of the automobile era.
The use of the modular spreader beam allowed the lifts to be carried out with the canopies intact and in two six-hour periods overnight, instead of closing the motorway for an extended period to deconstruct the structures.
Kennards Lift & Shift said the modular spreader beam is the largest currently on offer in Australia. It can be used in modular configurations up to 20m, and can lift 145t at 13.5m, or 76t at 20m. Everwilling Cranes said the use of the modular spreader beam enabled it to offer extra capacity beyond its own offering.
“We took load on each point without putting excessive strain on any of them,” said Jamie Henderson, operations manager at Everwilling Cranes.
“While we have our own heavy-duty spreader beams, the longest is 14m.”
