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Not a bridge too far (From Times Series)
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Not a bridge too far
5:17pm Saturday 2nd February 2008
Who said that the public sector couldn’t deliver on major infrastructure projects? Well last weekend I and colleagues braved the freezing temperatures to witness a feat of engineering
– the installation of the last bridge at Aerodrome Road in Colindale. Those residents that know aerodrome road will know that the road was narrow and no longer had the capacity to serve the
local area – not least as it is rapidly becoming one of the fastest developing areas. The new striking Beaufort Park, the to be rebuilt Graham Park Estate and the future developments on the
Newspaper Archive site and possible the Hendon Police College site all meant the old bridges needed to be replaced so the access road could be widened – we also were able to provide new,
stronger bridges.
At about 1am Sunday morning a gaggle of Councillors, MPs, and Council Officials (special tribute to the Council’s Highways team) gathered to watch the second bridge being slid into place. A
special machine was used to lift and manoeuvre the bridge into place, it was then secured and the railway lines connected. Within hours the bridge was handed to Network Rail and the first fast trains
sped across.
On budget and on time (in fact an hour ahead of schedule). Colindale re-development can now proceed apace and the Council’s highways team can be proud of a job well done!
