Bridge Provides a Vital Link at new Everton Stadium development

A 100-tonne bridge deck is being constructed at Everton Stadium to assist with site logistics and provide a vital link to the scenic western wharf in the final scheme.

The concrete bridge in the north west corner, which will eventually provide part of the route for the team coaches arriving the stadium, is being put in place early into the build to assist with the flow of site traffic.

It also serves as a conduit for the utilities and an array of cables, which will connect the outside broadcast compound on the yet-to-be-developed western wharf to all camera positions within the 52-888-seater stadium.

And a change to the original design means the new bridge, which complements the existing isolation structure in the south west of the site, meets sustainability measures by improving the flow of water through neighbouring docks and helping to stimulate marine life.

Gerald Knights, Structures Engineering Lead for Laing O’Rourke, explained: “The bridge is fundamental to the operation of the stadium.

“It allows a one-way flow of traffic around the stadium, so vehicles can come in on the north side and leave via the south, or loop around the western wharf.

“It’s also a conduit for all the utilities that come from the outside broadcast unit, which sits on the western wharf, and the bridge carries all of the electrical and communication cables into the stadium.

“Originally, there was another type of structure designed in this location, which would have de-linked some of the water connectivity between the two adjacent docks.

“We changed that and turned it on its head and built this structure which spans over the water now, and allows the marine life to repopulate the channel.”

The bridge, sitting atop six concrete piles bored 16 metres underground, is made up of four precast concrete beams, each weighing around 28 tonnes and with a span of 15 metres.

“That makes it quite a substantial structure, but one that is more cost-efficient and sustainable than the previous version that was on the table,” added Knights.

“We are constructing it now because it becomes important for logistics. Once we have the utilities in and we have built the bridge deck, we will be able to start putting traffic on this bridge and it will give us the flexibility, later on, to be able to excavate out around 15,000 cubic metres of earthworks to create the new water channel and a new habitat for all the species that will move into this area.

“We’re hoping to get it ready for use in January of next year, and then we should be able to see traffic on it not long after.”