Engineering Focus

The Mersey Gateway project has now been under construction for almost 3 years and is due to be completed on time later this year.  The bridge itself is taking shape and on the 10th of March ( 2017 ) construction of the bridge deck had reached the half way mark. The cable stayed bridge spans have been inching out across the Mersey since Autumn 2016, with 6 bridge sections being built simultaneously. Each of the 3 bridge pylons supports 2 'form travellers' which act as giant moulds into which concrete is poured. The image below shows a close up of one of the form travellers making its way out across the River Mersey. The traveller rests on the previously constructed bridge section, the main form then extends out over the river.  Before the concrete for each new section can be poured the form is fitted out with steel rebar, an internal form to create a hollow cavity within the bridge and an anchor point on to which the stay cable will attached. Once the stay cable is attach