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Tuesday 7 Feb 2017

Time-lapse footage shows replacement of 116-year-old Derbyshire bridge

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The replacement of a 116-year-old road bridge in Ilkeston was captured in spectacular style by six time-lapse cameras as the Railway Upgrade Plan continues in Derbyshire.

The video shows the existing Awsworth Road bridge being removed and the second one being driven into place, with almost 24 hours of construction work condensed into just 140 seconds crisp footage. It shows wooden decking being laid over the tracks, which usually carry 200 trains a day, before the old bridge is carefully lifted out and the new one is driven into place.

Work on the bridge, which usually carries around 5000 road vehicles a day over the railway below, began in September and is a vital part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, to deliver a bigger and better railway. Over 200 hours of footage were captured from the six cameras when the bridge lift took place just before Christmas.

Once completed, residents and businesses can benefit from a stronger bridge which will stand for many decades to come, but which also now gives drivers better visibility on the approach to the bridge.

The project will be completed by the end of April, with the full road closure which is currently in place to remain until 12 April.

Chris Chatfield, project manager at Network Rail, said: “The footage shows the amount of planning and precision that needs to go into a project like this in order to keep both the road and the railway closed the shortest amount of time. This project is a key part of our Railway Upgrade Plan and we will spend the coming weeks making sure that the new bridge is ready to welcome road traffic again by mid-April.”