Building the Postwick Viaduct

Building the Postwick Viaduct.

The film begins with shots of the River Yare and the Yare marshes prior to the construction of the A47 Norwich Southern link road. Bulldozers work on the building platform over the marsh. A large machine bores the piles for the foundations. Steel re-inforcement cages are placed in the pile shaft and concreted. These operations are shown in close-up. This is the case for moat of the film, although there are some long range shots showing the overall building progress. The viaduct is constructed with steel re-enforcement's that are concreted. This is compacted and then waterproofed. The column re-enforcement's and shuttering are fixed into position. The site engineer checks for accuracy. By November, 1990, some of the columns were in position. There is a close up shot of traffic lights and then shots of the traffic being diverted to clear access to the site.The concrete beams for the bridge arrive on site. These are welded together. The cantilever beams are placed on a temporary cross head structure on the columns. There is a long shot of the beams reaching over the river, 12.3m above mean high water mark. By July, 1991, all cantilever beams were in position. There is an aerial shot that shows the work necessary to complete the span over the river. At Reeves No. 2 wharf in Norwich, the centre beams are prepared and placed on barges to travel down the river to the viaduct. There are shots of the city and countryside as they proceed. The beams are lifted into place. The work continues to complete the viaduct. A steel framework is made for the road and concrete pumped into it from ground level. Concrete fascias are placed in position and scaffolding removed. The concrete is primed and waterproofed and the road surface applied. The parapet is completed. Ducts are laid to carry telephone and electricity wires. Expansion joints are placed at both ends at road level. The beams are painted and the moorings dredged. A speeded up sequence shows the final stages of work as the viaduct near completing. On 11th September, 1992, the viaduct was opened by the Rt. Hon John MacGregor, MP, Secretary of State for Transport. The work had taken 27 months. There are shots taken of and from the new Southern by-pass to end the film.

Featured Buildings

Postwick Viaduct

Featured Events

The opening of the Postwick Viaduct by the Rt. Hon John MacGregor, MP, Secretary of State for Transport, 11th September, 1992.

Keywords

Civil engineering; Opening ceremonies; Viaducts

Background Information

The River Yare. Until the construction of the Postwick Viaduct, the only means of crossing the River Yare between Norwich and Great Yarmouth was via the Reedham Ferry. These remain the only crossings between Carrow Bridge, Norwich and Bredon Bridge, Yarmouth. The Rt.Hon. John MacGregor, MP, OBE, was elected MP for South Norfolk in 1974 and held his seat in the face of the Labour landslide of 1997. He was appointed Secretary Of State for Transport after the 1992 General Election. He held many other Cabinet posts. From 1990 - 1992, he was Leader of the House of Commons; from 1989 - 1990 Secretary of State for Education and Science; from 1987 - 1989, Secretary of State for Agriculture and from 1985 - 1987, Chief Secretary to the Treasury.