Dantzic Street Bridge Reconstruction, Manchester

The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a major, multi-billion-pound programme of railway improvements which will bring better journeys to passengers travelling across the Pennines between Manchester, Huddersfield, Leeds and York.  As part of this upgrade a railway underbridge in Manchester City Centre, carrying two lines in and out of Manchester Victoria Station, required reconstructing. 

Taziker delivered this project as a key supply chain partner to the TRU West Alliance working directly for BAM.

The Challenge

Taziker’s scope of works was for the modelling, fabrication, transportation, and installation of a new 30m, 265 tonne bridge. This included trial erections and concreting of abutments and trimmers.

The city centre location of the bridge, close to Victoria station and with the River Irk running adjacent to the railway, was a major challenge as the options for siting a large crane close by for installation were very limited.

The Solution

We were heavily involved in developing the design through Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) and this initial engagement was key to the success of the project.

Due to the adjacent structures obstructing future access for removal and application of protective coatings, we proposed to fabricate the entire structure from weathering steel.  Additionally, we worked with the client to identify all stakeholders affected by the project and engaged for landowner consent.  We also assisted with the required road closure to obtain a transport work order for the transportation of materials to site for the heavy loads.

In order to have the required space during the installation stage, a car park was identified and secured to the northwest of the railway.  Although this was not as close to the structure as we would have preferred, a methodology could be developed to split the bridge into smaller pieces during the erection.  This allowed the 600-tonne crane to safely lift the sections into position.  A video animation was produced of each of the construction sequences to clearly explain how the project constraints would be overcome.

In the early stages of the design process, we identified efficiencies to ensure value for money and assessed the constructibility of the project to ensure that the design would be buildable, both in our fabrication facility and on-site. 

We undertook trial erections at our facility in Heywood - this was essential to provide confidence that during the blockade every part would fit, with no clashes with existing structures, materials, and components.

The Result

The project was delivered successfully on time and to budget, with the installation of the bridge taking place during a 16-day disruptive possession.

Our fabrication team worked closely with our on-site installation team along with other Alliance partners throughout the project, which was particularly important during the disruptive possession to ensure that risks were properly managed and activities between all parties were effectively coordinated.

Our installation works took place over 27 hours (during the 16-day possession) therefore it was imperative that we kept to our timescales to avoid causing further disruption to passengers. 

Taziker undertook all the works for the project in-house.  The bridge was fabricated at Taziker’s fabrication facility, and the installation of the new structure was installed by our internal on-site delivery team.

A major benefit for the client is that the bridge has a longer maintenance free period due to the material used.  Our choice of materials means that we have provided a bridge that will last well into the next century, maintenance free, ensuring no disruption to passengers for years to come.

This project was successful due to our collaborative approach to working with the Alliance and the extensive ECI activities to determine the safest and most cost-effective solution.  Taziker is proud to be a part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade project, supporting the economic growth in the North to deliver real benefits for passengers and communities.