GRAHAM is underway with work on a new pedestrian footbridge at City Hospital Halt, south Belfast.
The project will be delivered on behalf of Translink and involves the demolition and removal ofan existing pedestrian footbridge and steel supports, to be replaced with a single span Warren truss type girder structure with reinforced concrete piers.
As part of the scheme GRAHAM’s design solution includes an alternative mini-pile foundation which will eliminate the need for deep excavations, reducing temporary
works andensuring safetythroughout.
During the programme the existing footbridge will remain open to passengers whilst GRAHAM construct the new bridge pier foundations and piers directly below.
The existing bridge will then be demolished in a three-week period at the end of the works to enable the new bridge to be lifted into place.
The programme will consist of both daytime and night works, to allow construction activities to proceed in close proximity to a live railway line and carriageway and reduce disruption to the travelling public.
Sam Barr, Project Manager for GRAHAM, said: “We’re pleased to be undertaking this important pedestrian bridge replacement in south Belfast, which will help to maintain easy access from the station to the City Hospital and the Donegall Road.
“Throughout this scheme wewill work in close collaboration with Translink to allow passengers access to and from the station and also to avoid disruption to any scheduled rail services.
“The adoption of our foundation solution willlessen impact on passengers, the City Hospital and Donegall Road residents as well as reducing the overall duration of and cost of the works.
“Once complete, this new footbridgewill benefit passengers and improve the overall appearance of the railway halt.”
Helen Halliday, Translink Project Manager, said: “This important project to replace the dated existing bridge is required to maintain high safety standards, as well as the safety of those who regularly use the bridge for commuting purposes. As one of the busiest stations the new bridge will greatly enhance the appearance of the station and help to keep the local area connected to the wider NI Translink network.
“We will be working closely with our contractors to keep potential noise and disruption to a minimum.
“We look forward to working with our contractor, GRAHAM, to deliver this project as we continue our journey to make public transport ‘first choice for travel.”
The project will be the latest to be delivered by GRAHAM for Northern Ireland’s transport operator Translink. In June the contractor handed over the new £5.6m Portrush Station ahead of the 148th Open golf tournament that took place in the town the following month.
About GRAHAM
GRAHAM is a privately-owned company that specialises in the delivery of award-winning building, civil engineering, interior fit-out, facilities management and investment projects.
A truly national business, with an annual turnover of £735m (2019), it operates from a network of 23 regional offices throughout the UK and Ireland and employs over 2,200 colleagues.
Proudly “delivering lasting impact” since 1778, it is currently completing over 100 live projects across a range of key sectors including education, healthcare, commercial, retail, highways and rail.
Winner of the Major Contractor of the Year at the 2017 Building Awards, GRAHAM was the first contractor in the UK to achieve Investors in People (IIP) Platinum and IIP Wellbeing accreditations.
It was also the first UK wide company to achieve the British Standards Institute (BSI) Kitemark™ certification for both BIM Design and Construction (PAS 1192-2) and Asset Management (PAS 1192-3).
With an exceptionally strong £1.2bn pipeline, GRAHAM was ranked95th in the annual Sunday Times HSBC Top Track 100 – a league table which ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies with the biggest sales. For more information, visit the website: www.graham.co.uk
