United Kingdom – Work to strengthen the Surtees Bridge will involve the UK‘s biggest mobile crane. The A66 Surtees Bridge on Teesside will soon see the arrival of the UK‘s largest mobile crane. It is so big the crane will take three days to assemble after it arrives on 45 wagons.

Sarens UK‘s crane, which is as high as 19 double decker buses stacked up on top of each other, will aid efforts to strengthen the bridge between June 2nd and June 9th.

The £14 million project will be carried out from 19:00 BST to 06:30 BST between these dates and two lanes on the bridge will stay open most of the time.

Extremely heavy sections of the bridge will be lifted out by the crane after midnight, with the bridge remaining completely closed for the safety of drivers and workers.

The River Tees will also be closed between 20:00 BST and 06:30 BST on each night of the bridge lifts.

Arun Sahni, project leader for the Highways Agency, says all efforts are being made to ensure the work goes smoothly, particularly if unfavourable weather comes to the area.

"This is a very significant part of the work on the replacement of the bridge," he said.

"As with any work involving cranes, the lifts may have be called off at the last minute if the weather conditions, for example wind, rain or mist, are deemed to be too hazardous for them to go ahead.

"We have looked at this and have a contingency that the lifts would take place the following night if either has to be postponed."

After the sections have been lifted out, new supports for the bridge will be built and a new bridge deck will be installed in the summer.

The strengthened section of the Surtees Bridge will be fully operational in the autumn, with other sections due to be lifted out in December and January.
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