Milestone Moment For Gull Wing Bridge

Sunday, 3 March 2024 21:35

The main bascule span for the Gull Wing bridge is currently expected to arrive by barge at the construction site on Lake Lothing at around 8 in the morning of Monday 4th March 2024 - this of course very much subject to favourable weather conditions and tides. It is being reprted that the existing Bascule bridge will have to have an extended opening time of around 15 minutes to allow the barge through – so those using the bridge should factor this into your journey plans around Lowestoft. Pictured below from the Gull Wing Bridge Facebook page is the main bascule span leaving The Netherlands on Sunday 3rd March. The Gull Wing bascule bridge span is 39.5m long, 22m wide and 35m tall and will weigh approx. 1120 tonnes when delivered to site and positioned. This is made up of 750 tonnes of permanent structural steelwork and an additional 370 tonnes of temporary ballast to ensure the bridge stability during installation. An additional counterweight of heavyweight concrete will be placed within the J-beams during the installation and commissioning phase of approx. 380 tonnes resulting in the total weight of the bridge during operation being approx. 1100 tonnes. The bridge, when installed, will sit clear of the highest tide by 12m, meaning that the tips of the J-beams will usually be well over 50m above the sea below. When the bridge is rolled back in the open position, the end of the bridge span that carries the road will be over 60m above the tide below. The completed bascule bridge will be the largest rolling bascule bridge in the world lifted using hydraulic cylinders.