Scheme to piece together a key part of city’s infrastructure

The first pieces of a major Hull jigsaw have begun to arrive in the city as all 11 sections of Princes Quay Bridge arrive on site.

The project, which is the first phase of the A63 Castle Street scheme, will shape the future of Hull and connect key sites across the city. It has taken a major step forward, with pieces of the bridge now being assembled.

The bridge, which will have a new name when it’s complete, will help link the city’s marina with the southern end of Princes Dock. It will improve safety and access, making it easier for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people to cross the busy A63.

Senior Project Manager James Leeming said: “This is such an exciting time for Hull. The arrival of the bridge has been eagerly-anticipated in the city. We can now start assembling the pieces and see the bridge take shape.”

The 60m-long, 150-tonne bridge is too big to deliver to site fully-assembled, so is arriving in large individual sections which will be welded together. The pieces will be gradually built before electrics are installed for lighting. When this work is done, the bridge can be driven the short distance to the site where it will be placed into its permanent position over the A63.

This Highways England project is being part funded with a £4m contribution from the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership’s local growth fund programme, secured through its growth deals with Government and part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse.

There are no road closures in place for the arrival of the bridge pieces. Instead traffic lights will briefly stop traffic when deliveries arrive. More details are available at www.highwaysengland.co.uk/a63hullpqbridge and updates will be provided via Twitter using the #a63hullpqbridge hashtag.