9 June 2021 Latest News

Major M11 milestone reached following successful bridge installation

The M11 in Essex now boasts a new bridge after crews worked night shifts for the past week to install a 500 tonne construction over the motorway as part of the ongoing Junction 7A scheme.

Work to create a vital new junction on the M11 has reached a major milestone this week, with the successful installation of a new bridge over the motorway.

The 600 tonne crawler crane lifting the beams into place over the M11 during night working.
The 600 tonne crawler crane lifting the beams into place over the M11 during night working.

A section of the motorway has been closed overnight over the last week while a 600-tonne crawler crane lifted the five 45m braced beams, each weighing up to 100 tonnes, into place as part of the ongoing M11 Junction 7A scheme.

Welcoming the milestone, Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: “The M11 Junction 7A scheme is the largest infrastructure project in the county for a number of years. Once complete it will have a transformational impact on Harlow’s road network, helping create a new east-west link through the town, reducing congestion, creating new public transport links and, in the future, supporting the new Princess Alexandra Hospital.

“The complexity of the bridge works should not be underestimated and the strong collaboration between Essex County Council, Highways England and GRAHAM, as our contractor, has meant that we have

been able to undertake this part of the works quickly and efficiently, with minimal impact on road users.”

Councillor Lesley Wagland, OBE, Essex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, added: “I am very pleased that we have reached and completed this important milestone on schedule.

“There is now work underway on every part of the scheme, with re-surfacing on the newly-widened Gilden Way, works on the new junction itself and ongoing earthworks for the new Link Road, which will ultimately join the two. Over the coming weeks and months we will really start to see the whole picture coming together.”

The M11 Junction 7A scheme is due to be completed and operational by 2022.

More information about the project can be found at www.essex.gov.uk/junction7a, where you can also sign up to receive regular updates from the scheme contractor.