Croydon’s new transport hub has marked another major milestone, with crews lifting the final giant L-beam into place last week.
The bridge beams – each weighing about 120 tonnes and measuring 31 metres long – were lifted in over the weekend, during a 24/7 construction blitz to remove the Coolstore Road level crossing and build the premium Croydon Station.
The 687 metre rail bridge is made up of 88 L-beams, forming the foundation for two viaducts, which will weigh more than 11,000 tonnes when the works are finished and trains start running on the bridge in early July.
With the rail bridge foundations now in place, crews will continue to stitch the beams together, deposit 13,000 tonnes of ballast, then lay more than 4000 sleepers and 2.4 km of track.
Works also continue at the new Kent Avenue/Lacey Street intersection to replace the Coolstore Road roundabout, easing congestion and providing a safer way for vehicles and pedestrians to cross the rail line.
The intersection will open to traffic, and trains will start running on the rail bridge in early July. Croydon Station will open later in the month.
Work to complete the rest of the transport hub, including the 14-bay bus interchange, station car parks, pedestrian and cycling paths, landscaping and the new Devon Street and Wicklow Avenue connection will continue into spring.
Buses are replacing trains on sections of the Lilydale and Belgrave lines until early July.
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