TJ assists with M27 footbridge demolition

TJ Transport are continuing to assist with the M27 motorway improvements, this time providing haulage services for the demolition of the footbridge to the north of Fareham. A video of the work taking place can be viewed here.

The M27 had to be closed between junctions 9 and 11 while the work was being carried out, so the demolition took place overnight on the 14-15 June to keep any disruption and inconvenience to road users to a minimum. The entire project was carried out in a 24-hour period, with completion of the job actually occurring two hours ahead of schedule.

Hughes and Salvage were responsible for the project, with staff and specialist plant carrying out the demolition work itself. TJ were brought in to assist with the  haulage before and after the demolition.

Before the demolition started, TJ helped transport 900 tonnes of crushed concrete onto the site to lay on the road surface as a ‘bed’ to protect it during the works, when huge chunks of concrete would be coming down. During the demolition, TJ’s tipper lorry was busy taking away the material as it came down. In total, TJ transported 600 tonnes or 30 lorry loads away from the site to a local recycling depot.

This project is part of the Highways England £218m Smart Motorway upgrade of the M27 between junction 4 (M3 interchange) and junction 11 (Fareham). The upgrade, which commenced in September 2018 and is due to be completed by 2021, will see the hard shoulder being turned into a permanent running lane over 15 miles, so the road becomes a four-lane smart motorway in both directions.

There will be upgraded signs, signals and technology to inform drivers about conditions ahead, for example, if a broken down vehicle is in the far left lane, that lane would be closed and the closure communicated on the signs until the situation has been resolved.

The flow of traffic will also be controlled by these signs, so at busy times, speed restrictions will be imposed to keep the flow of traffic even, and avoid the ‘bottlenecked’ stretches of road that are currently being experienced.

TJ Transport Supervisor Kevin Longland said: “It all went really smoothly. We were pleased to be part of the project and to shift 1500 tonnes of materials in 24 hours was quite something! It’s all down to the hard work of our lorry drivers, who do all they can to ensure a timely job – and in this case a job that finishes ahead of schedule!”

Find out more about TJ’s haulage services today.

Video from The News website.