Esh Construction has marked a significant milestone in the transformational Stockton Waterfront urban park project with the installation of the precast beams to form a new land bridge being completed.

 The North of England contractor is carrying out the £23m urban park on behalf of Stockton Council. The project is a major part of the council’s blueprint for the regeneration of Stockton over the next 25 years.

Upon completion, it will feature a series of green, flexible spaces capable of hosting events and impressive, unique play areas, transforming the High Street and providing uninterrupted access to the riverside.

With paving works progressing at pace along Finkle Square in the upper park, works to connect the High Street to the River Tees via a new land bridge and Millennium Bridge, have taken a significant step forward.

 A total of 47 prestressed concrete bridge beams have been installed with support from reinforced concrete specialists BEMAC Construction, to form the land bridge above the A1305 Riverside Road carriageway.

The beams, which were manufactured by Shay Murtagh Precast in the Republic of Ireland, include 45 standard units measuring 21.5 metres in length and weighing 17 tonnes, alongside two edge beams which weigh 35 tonnes each.

David Player, contracts manager at Esh Construction, said: “The bridge beam installation is a key milestone in the Stockton Waterfront project and a testament to the collaborative planning and engineering expertise of all involved.

 “With the beams in place, we can now move forward with casting the bridge deck and progressing the next phase of public realm works that will bring the land bridge to life.”

A 200-tonne crane was used to lift the 47 beams into position over four days. With the beams forming the base for the 55-metre-wide land bridge above the realigned Riverside Road, the next phase of works will involve pouring 170m3 of concrete to cast the bridge deck, followed by the installation of 163m2 of porphyry paving, 420m2 of resin and 75m2 of granite paving to create a seamless public realm open space.