The 150 tonne crane manoeuvres the bridge into place
Dover Fastrack is one step closer to becoming a reality, as a new bridge was installed over the A2 at Whitfield over the weekend.
The bridge will enable the district’s first zero-emission electric buses to run between Whitfield’s new housing developments and Dover town centre and high-speed rail services.
The installation of the bridge was a remarkable feat of engineering, requiring a 150-tonne crane and five enormous beams, each weighing 30 tonnes and measuring 31.5m in length.
The project team, consisting of Colas and local company NuSteel Structures from Lympne, worked non-stop for 60 hours to finish the job.
Cllr Jamie Pout, Dover District Council’s Cabinet Member for transport, expressed his gratitude to the residents and businesses for their cooperation.
He said: “We know that this was a major disruption and we appreciate your patience and understanding. The bridge lift is a big step forward for Dover Fastrack, which will offer a fast, reliable and green transport option for our community from next year.”
Nicholas Dobbie, Project Director, Colas, said: “We are very proud of our team for achieving this milestone in the construction of Dover Fastrack, despite the weather challenges. We are now focusing on the next stages of the bridge construction. Thank you to everyone involved and to the residents and businesses for their support.”