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Fri March 29 2024

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Keltbray removes Olympic gateway bridge

13 Mar 13 Demolition contractor Keltbray has completed the removal of a 500-tonne pedestrian bridge as part of the transformation of London’s Olympic Park.

Keltbray was working for Balfour Beatty on the Queen Elizabeth legacy project. Balfour Beatty is responsible for the Aquatics Centre legacy work.

With five main girder trusses, some weighing over 75 tonnes, this is the largest single lifting operation Keltbray has undertaken.  A 550-tonne capacity lattice-boom Liebherr LG 1550 truck crane was brought in from Ainscough Crane Hire for the job.

The Stratford City Bridge, which is more than 70m long and 30m wide, was designed by Tony Gee & Partners and constructed by Balfour Beatty to provide primary access for spectators entering the Olympic Park from Stratford station and the Westfield Shopping Centre.

Keltbray project manager Gavin Lawless said: “Working in such a high profile area the project had a number of complex issues to contend with at planning stage, including stringent safety and environmental controls working adjacent to the waterways, logistical constraints in the park and numerous lifting and plant operations occurring simultaneously on site but the bridge was removed ahead of programme and without any major incident/accident.”

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He added: “We originally looked at the possibility of removing the bridge for reuse elsewhere as a complete unit, but were unable to find a suitable location. So the timber decking has been removed 90% intact with most of it donated for use in a sustainable eco-garden at the Cre8 Lifestyle Centre in Hackney Wick to benefit the local community. The remaining materials, including concrete and steel, are being crushed and recycled for use in other projects.”

Keltbray lifting operations manager Steve Leyton took charge of the lift on a straight hire basis rather than subcontracting it out to Ainscough as a contract lift. “We hope with this new in-house expertise, we can reduce our craneage costs and become more competitive in securing future works of this kind,” he said.

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