Paddington Bridge project, London
About the Project
- Client: Westminster City Council
- Principal designer: Cass Hayward and Scott Wilson Railways
- Principal contractor: Hochtief (UK) Construction
- Contract value: £28 million
The Paddington Bridge project constituted a tough technical and managerial challenge. On the one hand, a new bridge was required to replace an old structure on Bishop's Bridge Road to the north of Paddington station, forming an important road link. But on the other, a series of logistical problems meant an ingenious solution had to be found.
The bridge crosses 14 Network Rail operated and Hammersmith and City railway lines, a development site and the Grand Union Canal. So the development team proposed a deft solution - they lifted the existing bowstring bridge, built most of the bridge away from the railway and then launched the new bridge underneath the bowstring.
Finally, the bowstring was lowered and transported across the new bridge and dismantled, again away from the railway.
A further complication, however, arose when it was identified that the existing canal bridge was constructed by Brunel, meaning careful dismantling and close working with English Heritage. Overall, the team achieved its goal, reaping savings through combining temporary and permanent works foundations and even beating the target price through teamwork, value engineering and responsible contractor selection.
The judges said: 'This was an ingenious solution to a project fraught with potential logistic pitfalls. The result is highly satisfactory.'