Job Type: Motorway

This was the first phase of a major improvement plan that involved the demolition and rebuilding of Catthorpe Viaduct

Fowler and Holden supplied FastFlow bridge deck drainage on the M1 Junction 19 Catthorpe Viaduct project in conjunction with Skanska Civil Engineering. Long spans and high flow rates required meant that a 450mm wide 210mm deep unit was required to achieve the demanding levels set by the designers.

Catthorpe Viaduct Replacement is a safety maintenance scheme comprising of the design and construction of a new bridge to carry the southbound carriageway of the M6 motorway over the M1 motorway.

The bridge, instructed by the Highways Agency under an ECI contract, replaces the current link between the M6 and M1 southbound, a cause for concern due to possible deteriorating hinge joints in the deck. A catch-prop had previously been installed on the existing structure, reducing the M1 southbound down to two lanes and the hard shoulder.

The replacement structure consists of a two span steel composite bridge approximately 100m in length and 17m wide with a high skew varying from 61 degrees to 71 degrees. Six weathering steel girders and a reinforced concrete deck slab complete the bridge deck.

Since construction began in June 2010, the site has remained RIDDOR free to the end of August 2011.