20th July 2022

Watch: A533 Expressway Bridge beams delivered and assembled

Timelapse footage taken during the construction of the replacement Expressway Bridge along the A533 shows the moment a series of beams weighing the equivalent of 45 elephants were delivered and assembled.

The A533 Expressway Bridge is a concrete bridge that carries the Chester Road combined with the A533 over the M56 motorway.

It’s located between junctions 11 and 12 and is a vital local link, providing access across the M56 to Runcorn from Preston Brook and Northwich.

The beams, measuring 12.5m wide, took 12 weeks to be built from cutting the plate from the rolling mill, fabrication, grit blasting and trial fitting before being transported to the project site.

AmeySRM (a joint venture between Amey and Sir Robert McAlpine) together with National Highways are replacing the existing structure with a new 67m concrete bridge, consisting of a single two-lane carriageway and a combined footpath and cycleway.

The replacement of this bridge will ensure an increased life span of over 120 years for road users, maintaining safety in the long term.

A substantial part of the project will be built off site to minimise disruption and we’ll keep the existing bridge open while we construct the new bridge.

A533 Expressway bridge beam replacement

  • Building an Infrastructure Legacy

    From the pioneering railways and viaducts of the Victorian era constructed by our founder, we continue to build on our legacy of infrastructure projects with the delivery of today’s essential highway and rail networks.

    Find out more

Latest Infrastructure news

  1. Double success at CENE Awards 2025

    19 Jun 2025

    Hexham Hospital and Farringdon Row MSCP winners at Constructing Excellence North East Awards 2025

    Read more about
  2. Unique HS2 tunnel portal completed

    25 Apr 2025

    Our Align JV builds tunnel extensions for HS2 to stop sonic booms from 200mph trains entering the 10-mile Chiltern Tunnel.

    Read more about
  3. A19 Tees Viaduct project scoops Bridges award

    31 Mar 2025

    The A19 project team wins the Ethos award for excellence in wellbeing, training, and community engagement.

    Read more about

Latest news

  1. Double success at CENE Awards 2025

    19 Jun 2025

    Hexham Hospital and Farringdon Row MSCP winners at Constructing Excellence North East Awards 2025

    Read more about
  2. Wales Millennium Centre

    16 Jun 2025

    20 years on, we look back at the Wales Millennium Centre, a Cardiff icon blending world-class engineering, sustainable design and Welsh cultural identity.

    Read more about
  3. Expertise on show at Digital Construction Week

    13 Jun 2025

    More than 1,500 delegates attended our Innovation Stage to hear about the latest digital developments in the built environment

    Read more about
View all news