January 11 - Collett Transport has delivered six steel bridge sections to Kidderminster for the Hoobrook Link Road project in the UK.
The development, which will connect the A451 Stourport Road to the A442 Worcester Road, required the delivery of several steel beams to form a bridge over the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal and the Stour River.
Collett first transported the six bridge sections, which measured between 15.5 m long and 27.8 m long each, from their manufacturing site in Northallerton to Middlesbrough for shot blasting.
With oversize permits obtained, the beams were then moved by road from the Middlesbrough facility to Kidderminster under escort.
Once all six components were on site, the beams were assembled to form two 160-tonne sections - each measuring 58 m long - which were transported to the river side using two eight-axle bogie trailers, complete with turntables and a power booster module.
Collett explained that the route from assembly site to the river, although short, included a downward hill, which was a challenge to navigate with such long cargoes. The UK haulier utilised the hydraulic capabilities of the bogie trailers and turntables to ensure that the bridge sections remained stable during the descent.
With the power booster attached to the front of the transport combination and a ballast tractor positioned at the rear, the bridge sections were delivered safely to the river side, where a 750-tonne capacity crane was used to lift the sections into place.
Collett worked closely with the manufacturer of the steel bridge structures Allerton Steel and project contractor Alun Griffiths throughout the transport, marking a key milestone in the Hoobrook Link Road project, which is scheduled for completion in summer 2016.
