Lady Anne Footbridge, West Yorkshire

Taziker as supply chain partner on the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) project was contracted on behalf of BAM Nuttall to complete the fabrication and installation of Lady Anne Footbridge in Batley, West Yorkshire, to improve journeys between Dewsbury and Leeds and make the local railway safer.

The Challenge

As part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade, a footbridge was required to provide a safer access route across the live rail lines for pedestrians, in place of an existing level crossing.  This is part of Network Rail’s plans to eliminate safety risks by removing level crossings where possible and creating a safer railway.

A 40m footbridge was required at the location, which was to be fabricated and painted, with trial erections taking place before finally being installed on site.

The biggest challenges for the team were around the immense size of the 40m footbridge. The trial assembly of the bridge encompassed several components, including the support column, landing platform, minor span and major span. The major span measured 27m in length, making it a crucial aspect to address as we considered how to navigate tight corners on-site while delivering the bridge.

The Solution

Whilst the design team progressed with the bridge design, we worked to carry out all modelling work, clash detection and resolve any issues.

The fabrication of the bridge was completed over a six-week period between Taziker’s in-house specialist facilities in Heywood and Horwich. Following the fabrication of the bridge, this was painted in Network Rail N1 specification and N9 in areas of galvanised steel, all with an anti-graffiti coating that will stand the test of time.

Working collaboratively with our client, numerous site visits, surveys and swept path analysis were completed prior to the installation of the bridge. Identifying the issues with transporting the bridge around tight corners, the ramp into site was made wider following site surveys of the area. While the main span was transported on an extendable trailer, with the rear wheels controlled independently, allowing the trailer to be manoeuvred better.

The Result

The bridge was successfully installed ahead of programme during a rail possession. The final result saw a footbridge with a long life-span that will provide safer and easier access for pedestrians in the local area.

We received fantastic feedback about Taziker’s Stuart Haslam (Project Manager) and Ben Worsley (Commercial Manager) from Steve Reilly, the Project Manager for Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU West Alliance).