BRIDGE OF SIZE

INSIDE THE HUGE OPERATION TO REPLACE STRUCTURE THAT CARRIES TRAINS ACROSS THE M62

- GEORGE LYTHGOE

WORK is set begin on a major £22m railway bridge thought to be the first of its kind in the north west.

For the first time in recent memory a section of the M62 motorway was due to close today. Traffic will make way for Network Rail, who will rebuild a 42-metre-long, 2,000-tonne railway bridge that takes trains over the M62 in Castleton, near Rochdale.

Two-weekend closures will take place this month on the eastbound carriageway between J18 and J20 and the westbound carriageway between J19 and J20.

The M.E.N. was invited to the site next to the M62 to witness the grand scale of the construction. A massive steel beam as well as crushing equipment were on display in all their enormity.

The work site is just beyond Manchester Golf Club in Middleton and sits right next to the motorway, just a few hundred yards from the bridge.

The location was ideal for when two 42 metre, 70 tonne steel beams were ferried over from Ireland and delivered via the M62 during an overnight closure last month.

Since then, engineers have been working to prepare the bridge for its installation. So far, the team have started to assemble the bridge, install the walkway, prepared the abutments (bridge supports) and carried out some waterproofing.