Timelapse video captures the historic completion of new rail bridge that is key to success of Ely southern bypass

VolkerFitzpatrick’s civils division recently completed two key milestones on the Ely Southern bypass project, with the completion of the structural steelwork.

The 1.7km bypass consists of two main structures, a 300m viaduct over the River Great Ouse and its floodplain, and a 100m rail bridge over two railway lines.

Timelapse footage captured the team installing the rail bridge, which was completed in three separate lifts. The lifts were undertaken during two weekend possessions, using a 750 tonne crawler crane.

During the second possession, the team successfully completed the installation within 3.5 hours, before handing back the track. Despite the challenging timeframe, the works were delivered safely and on time.

In addition, the team installed the viaduct using a 450 tonne crawler crane, on a ‘floating crane platform’, within the river floodplain. The viaduct’s structure consists of six spans of twin trapezoidal boxes, which were installed and welded together over a period of six weeks.

Ben Joyce, project manager for VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “These achievements are the culmination of many months of planning and preparation. Despite the challenging timeframe and physical environment, both operations ran smoothly and safely, which is testament to the skill and attitude of everyone involved.