UPDATE: |Moment huge new bridge is lifted onto M67 as part of £23m project News

The old bridge was deemed a health and safety risk

Amazing aerial images show progress being made on a new bridge over the M67.

Over the weekend, eight braced steel beams were lifted into place as part of a £23m project In Denton. And National Highways images captured the impressive moment each was meticulously craned into position.

The beams, each pair weighing up to 65 tonnes, were installed as part of the latest phase of work to replace St Anne’s Road Bridge in Denton, which crosses the M67.

Drivers have endured months of disruption on the motorway that connects Manchester to Sheffield.

Those wanting to use the M67 going east onto A57 Snake Pass or the A628 had to follow diversions over many weekends in the last few months.

The beams will support the new bridge deck, on which vehicles run. The next phase of the scheme involves building on the bridge deck itself.

National Highways Programme Delivery Manager Mangat Bansal said: “The work went very well and according to plan with each pair of beams lifted successfully and safely into place.

“We had to close the motorway to enable this latest phase in our project and thank everyone for their understanding and patience as we continue with our work to rebuild the bridge.”

The old bridge, which was demolished at the end of last year, required extensive structural repairs due to its age and its outdated style of construction. For health and safety reasons, National Highways decided the best course of action was to replace the bridge entirely.

Although they anticipated short-term disruption to residents, the government body believed the long-term benefits to the area ‘ensured the safety of road users for decades to come’.