Steel beams installed in bridge replacement project

Steel beams have been winched into place across the River Soar in the latest stage of a bridge replacement project in Leicestershire.

The 76m-long beams form part of the £19.5m Zouch Bridge replacement, a Leicestershire County Council project to create a new crossing over the A6006.

The bridge will link Hathern and Zouch, on the Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire border, and is being created as the current crossing is deteriorating.

Charles Whitford, Leicestershire County Council cabinet member for highways and transport, said the six beams, each weighing 80 tonnes, were "essentially carefully shunted" into where they needed to be.

"It's a complex procedure that requires a lot of precision and care," he added.

"The presence of the overhead wires means the steels cannot just be craned in, so they have to be launched, essentially carefully shunted into place.

"The A6006 is a key route that includes links to the airport and freeport developments, so we have done our best to keep disruption to a minimum and build the new bridge alongside the old one, rather than in the same place."

The new bridge is being built by contractors Eric Wright Civil Engineering.

The launch of the beams on 16 October was the second to take place - the first happened in August.

The scheme will see the existing 80m (262ft) bridge demolished while the new structure is built next to it, and the road realigned to allow the new route to open in early 2027.