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17th June 2016

Ainscough Crane Hire Install Latest M60 Overhead Gantry

crane

Market leading national lifting company, Ainscough Crane Hire, is continuing to provide support to the Highways England smart-motorway upgrade of the M60 / M62 in Greater Manchester.

An overnight closure on July 2 provides a window of opportunity for Ainscough to lift the latest of eight overhead gantries into place. The 71-tonne structure will be positioned close to Eccles in Salford.

The first gantries, which carry message and variable speed limit signs, were installed across the M62, between junction 19 at Heywood and junction 20 at Oldham, on Thursday 5 May.

The gantries – which span both the eastbound and westbound carriageways of the motorway – are up to 59 metres wide, weigh up to 78 tonnes and will require a special 500 tonne crane to help install them as well as full overnight motorway closures.

The smart motorway scheme, between junction 8 of the M60 near Sale and junction 20 of the M62, will use the latest technology to monitor traffic levels and keep vehicles moving by using variable speed limits. The hard shoulder will also be permanently converted into an extra lane to increase capacity between junctions 18 and 20 on the M62.

Andrew Winter, general manager of Ainscough’s Heavy Cranes Division, said: “All of our work is completed against a deadline but when that deadline is connected to the re-opening of part of the major road network, we have to ensure the lift goes ahead without any hitches.

“A successful lift for us in this case is one where the general public will barely notice our role but see the results of the planning and efficient delivery we pride ourselves upon.”

Works to deliver the £201 million smart motorway upgrade are expected to be complete in the autumn of 2017.

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