Bridge almost complete

Press, 9 December 1976, Page 1

Bridge almost complete

The last beam in the Durham Street railway overbridge wall be lifted into position on Saturday morning, reuniting both sections of the street after 16 J;' ears ;, 1 , u j ii The SIM bridge will link the two halves of Durham Street, which were divided when a railway level crossing was closed in 1960. Eventually it will give one-way access to the proposed Southern Motorway, although two-

way traffic will be allowed initially. A footpath will be provided on the west side of the bridge. Ten pre-stressed conCrete beams, which form ts l e sweif->fv5 weif ->fvi an<l t fina J :S .? an of the 200-metre bridge, will be placed on Saturday, This will bring the total number of 17m beams in the structure to 136. Each weighs 21 tonnes. Construction began in 1973. Contractors had to work in conjunction with

the Railways Department, to avoid disruption to rail traffic in the busy yards over which the bridge passes. Cass Street, on the south side of the bridge, was temporarily , q , • . diverted during one stage of construction, Work is expected to be completed on schedule bv . _ narw an < e of Januar Y, and bridge will open soon afterwards.