Collett, a heavy transport solutions provider, joined forces with SH Structures to deliver two bridge sections for the new Tan House footbridge project. Bridge sections measured 26 and 27 metres in length and 4 metres in width. 

The transportation of these vital sections was executed with Collett’s in-house pilot vehicle fleet escorting the convoy throughout the entire route. The first leg of the bridge sections journey commenced from SH Structures facility in Sherburn-in-Elmet, where both wide loads were carefully loaded onto 3-axle triple extendable trailers equipped with rear steer capabilities and transported to Jack Tighes industrial coating facility in Doncaster.

Before embarking on the second leg of the journey, Collett conducted site visits to strategise the route, identifying various street furniture such as traffic lights and road signs that would require removal.

The second leg

Once loaded again at Jack Tighes, Collett set off to complete the second leg of the journey to Wokingham town centre. Given the challenging access through the town centre, it was imperative to schedule the delivery during daylight hours. Collett’s coordination with Balfour Beatty and Wokingham Borough Council facilitated a controlled road closure, guaranteeing the safety and efficiency of the transportation process.

In addition to two large bridge sections, Collett delivered additional components such as the bridge support columns and bridge step units that were to be delivered in line with the site construction schedule.

Andrew Kind, Sales & Estimating Manager from SH Structures stated, “Collett & Son worked closely with SH Structures as part of their supply chain to plan the delivery of the two parts of the bridge from our factory to the painters, plus site. Their meticulous eye for detail started with the swept path analysis, movement orders and coordination with our client and Network Rail. The deliveries arrived at the site on time to enable the lifting of the structure onto the rail-mounted bogies to work within the time constraints of the rail possession.”