Twin Sails Bridge A Step Closer To Completion

Large sections of steelwork for the new Twins Sails Bridge have started to arrive in Poole.

The arrival of four 18-metre-long sections of steel marks another milestone on the road to delivering Poole's much-needed second harbour crossing.

Two 40-tonne sections of the main bridge deck and two parts of the walkway, each weighing seven tonnes, were on the first lorry load delivered to the construction site in Hamworthy.

A 500-tonne crane was required to lift the steelwork from the lorry ready for assembly.

The bridge deck and iconic Twin Sails is made up of 41 sections of steel being manufactured by Cleveland Bridge UK Limited in Darlington. 

Further deliveries of the bridge steelwork will be made over the coming months.  The steel sections will be assembled on site ready for installation in the summer.

Councillor Elaine Atkinson, Leader of the Council, Borough of Poole, said:

 "The delivery of this steelwork heralds the start of an exciting new chapter in the Twin Sails Bridge story. Arrival of these giant pieces of steel gives us a glimpse of how our new bridge will look when it is completed."

Councillor Ron Parker, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Transport and Local Economy, Borough of Poole, said:

"It is impressive to see this landmark structure beginning to take shape. The scale of the operation being undertaken on site is truly world-class."

The Twin Sails Bridge is scheduled to open in early 2012, providing critical infrastructure for 26 hectares of brownfield land and unlocking one of the largest regeneration sites in the South West. Over the next 10 to 15 years, this project is expected to deliver 2,000 homes, and create up to 5,000 jobs.