Watch the historic moment the new Copley Bridge is put into place

This is the historic moment that the new Copley Bridge was put into place after it was destroyed by the Boxing Day floods in 2015.
The new Copley Bridge being lowered into placeThe new Copley Bridge being lowered into place
The new Copley Bridge being lowered into place

Work is well underway to rebuild the former Copley Bridge, now known as Wilson Bridge, as part of Calderdale Council’s ongoing flood recovery work across the borough.

This week an all new steel and timber structure supplied by local specialists CTS Bridges has been lowered into place.

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“Wilson Bridge” is the new name chosen by local primary school children and residents for the bridleway crossing.

The new Copley Bridge being lowered into placeThe new Copley Bridge being lowered into place
The new Copley Bridge being lowered into place

Pupils’ research revealed that the original Copley Bridge was once a toll bridge and that one neighbouring resident – the late Mr Graham Wilson – had done much to maintain and improve the bridge.

The Council appointed CTS Bridges of Huddersfield to design, manufacture, deliver and install the 40m x 3m bridge.

The single span truss bridge is above the flood level and avoids reliance on any supports within the river channel making it far less vulnerable if there were to be a repeat of the 2015 flood.

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Stone from the original Copley bridge was used to enhance the approaches to the new crossing.

The new Copley Bridge being lowered into placeThe new Copley Bridge being lowered into place
The new Copley Bridge being lowered into place

CTS director Sally Preston explained: “Along with meeting Calderdale Council’s project requirements the main design challenge of this scheme was the difficult access into the site which prohibited delivery of a fully assembled bridge and restricted the crane size to carry out the final lift.

"This influenced the design, resulting in the incorporation of removable elements such as the deck so that the weight could be minimised during the lift and then the bridge completed insitu”.

The structure was brought into site in three-sections and welded together on the bank in the weeks before the main lift.

To work within the capacity of the 350-tonne crane CTS joiners only fitted the hardwood deck boards after the bridge had been dropped into its final position.