M62 smart motorway project is using 500-tonne cranes

What do you do when trying to quickly remove and replace a large section of motorway on Britain's busy road network? You hire the biggest cranes you can find to ensure big things get moved quickly and without incident.

That's what Highways England is currently doing on a section of the M62 motorway, which is being transformed into a "smart motorway" before the end of 2017.

The cranes used are being provided by Baldwins Crane Hire Limited, who've been in the business since 1957. The massive 500-tonne cranes are being used to remove 40-metre-long sections of concrete gantry, a job that would otherwise require a lot more time and planning.

We've included one image of the cranes here, but the Manchester Evening News has a gallery of the project and cranes in action.

If you like bridge demolitions we have some good news

If you enjoy bridge demolitions, then it's a boom time for you, especially if you live in North Yorkshire.

The A1 is set to have not one, not two, but eight bridges demolished as part of a motorway upgrade for the road. The bridges in question include Catterick South, Tunstall Road, Fort, Brompton South, Brompton North, the redundant Catterick Railway, and Kneeton Hall.

The work is being carried out by PTS Demolition and Dismantling, who are providing 30 staff primarily, with another 10 people involved from suppliers and subcontractors. The bridges are being demolished so as to allow the road to be made wider and therefore handle more traffic as a motorway. The existing dual carriageway will be extended to 3 lanes. All waste from the bridge demolitions will be recycled, and the end result is a much improved London to Edinburgh road link.

Source: The Northern Echo