STEEL MASTERS BRIDGE THE GAP
A 75 tonne piece of Darwen has been unveiled as the centrepiece of a £200 million regeneration scheme in Bristol. Made completely from stainless steel, the unique £1.8 million, 200ft bridge links the city's Temple Quay harbour to the city centre.
Specialist architectural metalworking company m-tec, part of the WEC Group, was chosen to fabricate the structure because of its expertise in working with the material. A team of 25 fabricators and eight designers worked on the project for eight months. It was built in eight sections, shipped to Bristol and then constructed and welded into position.
Lifting the bridge into place in August involved one of the largest cranes in Europe. With the bridge at its centrepoint over the water and suspended by the crane, the weight is approximately 1,500 tonnes.
Representativesof m-tec were present at the opening which saw the bridge named Meads Reach by Mayor of Bristol Chris Davis. It is for pedestrians and cyclists as well as offering direct access between the city centre and Temple Meads railway station.
Tom Elliot, divisional manager for m-tec, said he was extremely pleased with the success of the project. 'The bridge is made up of stainless steel and there has never been anything like it before. It is also beautiful to look at. It is very elaborate with thousands of tiny holes that lights shine through. M-tec has never built a bridge before and now it is in place, we have had enquiries for the Olympic Games in 2012."
For further examples of architectural work by m-tec, please visit their website.
Published 04/10/08
