Bridge beam lift for Immingham Port link road
Thirty giant concrete bridge beams will be lifted into place over the A160.
Thirty giant concrete bridge beams will be lifted into place over the A160 near Immingham during the next two weekends as part of a £88.4 million project to improve access to one of the UK’s busiest ports.
Contractors working on behalf of Highways England will use a 50 foot crane to install the bridge beams, which are each up to 28 metres long and weigh up to 76 tonnes – equivalent to the weight of 33 shipping containers or 51 family cars.
Each beam will take approximately 2 hours to lift into place, and will require the A180 to be closed for two weekends at Brocklesby Interchange.
Once the new beams have been installed, work can begin to construct the bridge deck which will see the interchange become a roundabout, improving access both to and from the A160 which runs to the Port of Immingham.
Ben Ridgeon, Project Manager at Highways England, said:
This bridge beam lift is an important construction phase of the Port of Immingham project, which will significantly improve journeys to and from the port.
The new roundabout at Brocklesby Interchange, where the A160 meets the A180 will increase capacity at the junction and make it easier for drivers to move to and from the main road to the port.
Our contractor will be using major lifting equipment and it is essential we close the road over 2 weekends to ensure maximum safety to both road workers and road users alike.
The A180 will be closed in both directions between Brocklesby Interchange and the junction with the B1210, Stallingborough Road, from 8pm on Friday 4 March until 6am on Monday 7 March for the bridge beam lift.
The same closures will be in place the following weekend from 8pm on Friday 11 March March until 6am on Monday 14 March. Drivers will be able to follow a signed diversion and are advised to allow an extra 10 minutes for their journeys.
The Highways England scheme will see a 3 mile section of the A160 between the A180 and the Port of Immingham upgraded to a dual carriageway along its entire length.
Improvements will also be made to junctions along the route, including a new roundabout at the junction with the A180, a new bridge over the A160 on Town Street, and a new road under the railway line by the port.
The Port of Immingham is the UK’s largest port by tonnage and handles up to 55 million tonnes of goods every year, including nearly 20 million tonnes of oil and 10 million tonnes of coal.
Once completed, traffic congestion will be reduced, journey times will become more reliable, and safety will be improved for road users and the local community. There will also be better access to the Port of Immingham and the surrounding area.
More details on the scheme, including a computer generated video showing how the upgraded road will look, are available at the road project website.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.