Watch M6 Junction 10 bridge get torn down as revamp reaches latest milestone
Going, going, gone! New footage and images have been released showing how an old bridge on the M6 was torn down in the Black Country at the weekend.
Two wider replacements have been installed at Junction 10 for Walsall to replace the narrower structures through a £78 million congestion-busting revamp of the route.
The old south bridge knocked down earlier this month before the former north bridge was brought down at the weekend – with work finishing five hours early.
National Highways project manager Annie Hyett said: "This is another major milestone in the project which once again went very smoothly and to plan and we would like to thank everyone who was able to avoid the area where possible which reduced the queues of traffic and delays.
“We know that these major works have caused some disruption but soon road users will be able to fully benefit from these improvements which will reduce the congestion that has been experienced at this bottleneck junction for so long.”
To enable the bridge to be safely demolished, Junction 10 was closed from 8pm on Friday night and was expected to be open by 6am on Monday morning – but traffic was able to use the motorway as usual again from 1am.
A fleet of machines were used to "nibble" away at the bridge before all the rubble was removed, the road cleaned and the motorway reopened. Traffic followed an ‘up and over’ diversion which left the motorway at junction 10, travelled over the roundabout and then re-joined the M6 on the other side.
The improvements scheme is being funded jointly by National Highways and Walsall Council, supported by the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, and contractor John Sisk & Son is carrying out the work.
