M6/M55 & M5 Gantry Anti-Access Measures

A total of 35 steel/concrete motorway overhead gantries required anti-access measures to stop any unauthorised personnel gaining access onto them. Each gantry has an existing steel/aluminium ladder at on end for access purposes.

Our brief was to supply and install lockable hinged doors/hatches, SS mesh infill to existing ladder surround frame, anti access side/backing plates and anti-slip rung covers for maintenance purposes to all the 35 gantries.

This involved a detailed survey of every single gantry ensuring that dimensions for new steelwork plates matched existing ladder widths etc. All steelwork was galvanised to BS EN ISO 1461. All fixings were anti-vandal and included nylon washers where required to mitigate any bi-metallic corrosion between materials.

A programme of works was agreed with the client as we had to work on the hard shoulder within their traffic management (TM). This TM was moved up and down the carriageway every night to suit the programme.

All anti-access measures were done via hard shoulder access utilising cherry pickers and we completed measures to 2 gantries per day.

All relevant health and safety information including method statements, risk assessments and COSHH assessments were approved and signed off by the client prior to us undertaking the works. Risk assessments were critical due to working adjacent the UK’s busiest motorway.