STIP: Ardleigh Green - Bridges & Structures
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HOCHTIEF demolished and replaced four road-over-rail bridges in central London as part of TfL’s Structures and Tunnels Investment Portfolio (STIP). Ardleigh Green Bridge carries the four lanes of the A127 Southend arterial road over the East Anglia Railway.
Key features:
- Road-over-rail bridge deck demolition and construction
- Service bridge
- Complex utilities diversions
- Traffic Management
- Phased reconstruction
We optimised our construction methodology to minimise disruption to the London road and rail networks.
To maintain traffic flows on this major route, we replaced the bridge in two phases. We demolished and rebuilt the eastern side first while keeping the western side open to traffic. We then switched traffic to the new eastern side to enable us to demolish and replace the western side.
We adapted our bridge design to maximise offsite prefabrication, enabling us to lift in structural elements during short rail possessions and road closures. We built the 440t eastern deck offline then launched it 42m across the railway using a Self-Propelled Modular Transporter (SPMT) onto temporary props, before jacking it down into place. Our construction method increased quality and safety and ensured that we could complete the eastern bridge installation within the allocated possession, preventing delays. Once the eastern section was complete, we demolished and replaced the western side following the same method. The final works to complete the demolition of the remaining support piers to the old structure were completed over Christmas 2020.
We won a Considerate Constructors Performance Beyond Compliance award and were shortlisted for a British Construction Industry Award in the Temporary Works Initiative of the Year: Civil Engineering category. All four lanes of traffic reopened in 2019.
