Temporary installation enables efficient construction while keeping airport operations running smoothly
LYDNEY, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, United Kingdom, June 25, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acrow Bridge a leading international bridge engineering and supply company, announced today one of its modular steel bridges has been installed to support ongoing construction works at Bristol Airport. The bridge is providing temporary access between landside areas and a construction zone, allowing the project to proceed efficiently while disruptions are minimised.
With a history dating back to the 1920s, Bristol Airport has evolved significantly alongside the region's increasing population, undergoing numerous upgrades over the years to meet the growing demands of modern travel. The current expansion is a multi-year initiative involving terminal improvements that will improve customers' experience as well as runway infrastructure enhancements to cater for 12 million passengers per annum.
At one construction location spanning both landside and airside areas, an Acrow 700XS modular steel bridge was installed to allow construction traffic to bypass airside areas altogether. The bridge now enables vehicles to travel directly from landside, over the airside space without entering it, and up to an elevated coach deck approximately three metres above ground level. This arrangement has reduced the need for special permits, shortened delivery times, and helped control project costs.
Maintaining continuous access was a key requirement for the project. The area beneath the bridge is the sole access route for baggage drop operations, making it essential that baggage delivery vehicles could pass underneath at all times. The finished bridge maintains a minimum clearance of 2.2 metres between the ground and the underside of the structure, while also allowing 24-hour access throughout the construction period.
The bridge is being rented for the project by Farrans, a Sisk Company. Prebuilt in three sections, the structure has a total length of 60 metres, comprising spans of 21 metres, 18 metres, and 21 metres, along with an additional 12-metre ramp. The bridge has a single-lane width of 4.2 metres and features an epoxy anti-skid deck. It has a design load of a single 44t vehicle in accordance with CS454 and was lifted into place using a crane. Acrow also supplied four support towers for the project. Installation was carried out under strict operational constraints, including a ceiling height restriction and a limited four-hour lifting window.
"Maintaining safe, efficient access during airport construction is always complex, particularly during busy times of the day with flights arriving and departing," said Laura Jones, Business Development Manager, UK. "The Acrow modular bridge has provided a practical solution that supports construction progress while keeping critical airport operations running smoothly."
"We are proud to have been selected to be a part of this important infrastructure upgrade," said Michael Treacy, CEO Acrow Global Limited. "Acrow's modular bridge solutions offer the versatility to be rapidly deployed, adapted to site-specific constraints, and configured for either permanent or temporary use across a wide range of applications."
About Acrow
Acrow has been serving the transportation and construction industries for more than 75 years with a wide range of modular steel bridging solutions for permanent, temporary, military and emergency use. Acrow's extensive international presence includes leadership in the development and implementation of bridge infrastructure projects in over 150 countries across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.acrow.com.
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