Kier has demolished the first bridge as part of the A13 widening project in Thurrock over a weekend, two and a half hours ahead of schedule.
Kier oversaw the removal of the Saffron Gardens Bridge, which was previously used by farm vehicles, while also undertaking additional works such as street lighting column removal and BT communication cable installation at the same time to minimise future closures.
In advance of the demolition of the bridge linking a farm to the A1013 Stanford Road, Kier upgraded an alternative access road to allow the farm to continue to operate as normal during the project.
To enable the demolition to take place safely, the A13 was closed in both directions from 9pm on Friday 30 August until 5am on Monday 2 September.
Kier used protective debris mats to protect the existing road surface underneath the bridge, with four demolition machines used to demolish the structure itself, as well as water cannons to control the spread of dust across the site and into public areas.
Live vibration monitoring was also in place to ensure that the demolition did not adversely affect the nearby gas pipeline.
The £79m A13 road widening project involves widening the road between Orsett and Stanford-le-Hope, from two to three lanes and replacing four bridges. A new bridge is due to be installed in 2020.
Steve Mack, A13 project director at Kier, said: “Demolishing Saffron Gardens Bridge was a major milestone for our project and I would like to thank the team for their incredible efforts in planning and delivering this high-profile activity safely and successfully.”
Elsewhere across the project, the three other new bridges will be installed before the existing bridges are demolished.
