Mabey Plays Vital Role In Earls Court Construction Scheme

A bridge supplied by Mabey Bridge is playing a key role in the construction project for the new Earls Court district, a 77 acre mixed-use development that is taking shape in West London. The bridge is expected to remain in place for up to 15 years and will provide continuous access to the site for construction traffic.

The Earls Court project is led by London property and investment company Capital & Counties Properties PLC (‘Capco’) and the masterplan has been designed by British architect and urban designer Sir Terry Farrell of award-winning architect planners Farrells. The masterplan is centred around four new villages and a 21st century high street, which will comprise 7,500 new homes as well as hotels, offices, a new medical facility, school and the Lost River Park.

The first work on site has focused on the demolition of the former exhibition centre, led by leading demolition contractor Keltbray, which will be deconstructed to ground level by this summer.

The bridge contract was awarded to Mabey Bridge by Keltbray. Mabey Bridge supplied a Compact 200 modular bridge, which was installed in February. This now crosses over one of the tunnels for the London Underground District Line providing access to the construction site. One of its abutments sits 15 metres above the Piccadilly Line.

Commenting on the bridge win, Neil Boyle, Sales Director for Mabey Bridge said: “This bridge will play a crucial role in the construction scheme for the new Earls Court. Due to the complexities of the site, we have been in discussion with the design team since 2011 evaluating all the options. The Compact 200 is a real workhorse and this particular bridge will take a real pounding during its working life. Although we consider it a temporary bridge, it could be in place for up to 15 years and so will be a testament to British engineering”.
The new bridge is 48 metres long and will carry vehicles with loads up to 44 tonnes. In view of the proximity of residents living close to the site, the bridge has been fitted with 5-metre-high noise reduction barriers. In a further bid to minimise noise, special rubber mats will also be fitted between the transoms and the decks. The decks will also have an anti-skid surface.

The Compact 200 is one of the Company’s most popular bridging systems and has been supplied to construction clients in over 140 countries around the world.