Stockton Waterfront bridges the gap
The £23m urban park project being delivered by Esh Construction has reached a milestone with the installation of the precast beams to form a land bridge connecting the high street to the River Tees.
A 200-tonne crane was used to lift the 47 concrete bridge beams into place, with concrete specialist BEMAC also on the project team.
This will form the land bridge above the A1305 Riverside Road carriageway.
The next step will be to pour the concrete to cast the 55-metre wide bridge deck, before installing the granite paving on top.
Credit: Esh Construction
The level access path will be a key part of the urban park, which is being delivered on behalf of Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and is part of the blueprint for the town’s regeneration over the next 25 years.
Procured via North East Procurement Organisation, Esh is working in partnership with Ryder Architecture and Billinghurst George & Partners on the scheme.
The aim is to create a series of green spaces that can be used for events, alongside play areas, to transform the high street and provide access to the river.
Other works progressing alongside the bridge includes paving works at Finkle Square and construction of a play park in the upper park, while installation of an ampitheatre and landscaping elements across the lower park will commence in the next few months.
Credit: Esh Construction
David Player, contracts manager at Esh Construction, said: “The bridge beam installation is a key milestone in the Stockton Waterfront project and a testament to the collaborative planning and engineering expertise of all involved.
“With the beams in place, we can now move forward with casting the bridge deck and progressing the next phase of public realm works that will bring the land bridge to life.”
Cllr Richard Eglington, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Stockton-on-Tees Council, said: “It’s very exciting to see the progress of the transformation of the Stockton Waterfront site taking place and this important milestone helps make the vision of reconnecting the high street to the river more of a reality.
“The scale of change will also be felt across the entire Borough. Stockton Waterfront is set to be the catalyst for further regeneration work across Central Stockton and North Thornaby, and we are looking to build on this success to create a thriving place for our communities and businesses.”
