The Meads Reach Bridge, Bristol from m-tec


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 with the city centre.

"The bridge is made of stainless steel and there has neven been anything like it before. It is also beautiful to look at. It is very elaborate with thousands of tiny holes with lights shining through. m-tec has never built a bridge before and now it is in place, we have had enquiries for the 2012 Olympic Games." Tom Elliot - General Manager, m-tec.

Specialist architectural metalworking company m-tec, a division of 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 was approximately 1,500 tonnes.

Visit m-tec website.