Logistics company bridges the gap to new amphitheatre

A LOGISTICS business which went trans-Atlantic for one of its heaviest and longest jobs has now followed up with one of the shortest – moving a bridge which is the latest addition to Hull’s transformed Fruit Market area.

Trans2 Logistics completed a road and sea journey of around 5,000 miles last year to deliver a 65-tonne furnace from its manufacturers at Oldbury in the West Midlands to the destination in Shannon, Mississippi.

The latest project involved collecting the new footbridge from Steelridge, whose factory is only two miles from Trans2’s office at The Deep Business Centre in Hull.

The destination was closer still in Humber Street, a short walk over the existing Jack Brignall Bridge which connects The Deep to Hull’s Old Town.

Andy Waugh, special operations manager at Trans2 Logistics, said: “Every job is different and every job has its own challenges. The distance for this project was a lot shorter – just over two miles from Steelridge to Humber Street although we also did a couple of trips to take the bridge sections to a galvanising plant at Worksop.

“It is also nowhere near as heavy, only about 17 tonnes. But it’s 26 metres long and more than 3.5 metres wide and that made it tricky manoeuvring the bridge out of the factory and then getting the lorry down the narrow entrance to Humber Street.”

The riverside footpaths along the Humber were closed temporarily to walkers, joggers and cyclists who stood and watched as the operation, which began in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Trans2’s job was complete once the bridge was lifted from the back of the lorry ready to be lowered into position overlooking Stage @TheDock, Hull’s new outdoor venue which is taking shape in an old dry dock.

The new structure extends the Millennium Bridge which opened in 2001 and was dedicated to Jack Brignall in 2011. Mr Brignall, who died in 2010, was the founder of Wykeland, the company which is pioneering the regeneration of the Fruit Market area.

Freya Cross, business and corporate manager at The Deep, said: “The transformation of Humber Street and the Fruit Market area is one of the most spectacular developments in Hull in recent years and the new bridge is an exciting addition.

“One of the attractions for the visitors to The Deep and the tenants in The Deep Business Centre is the convenient access to the Old Town via the Jack Brignall Bridge, and this extension will provide a direct link to the new-look Fruit Market area and the wonderful amphitheatre.”