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Stockton Waterfront beam installation marks major milestone

By Richard High, 23 July, 2025
Esh Construction installs precast beams to form new Stockton land bridge Esh Construction installs precast beams to form new Stockton land bridge.

Esh Construction has completed the installation of 47 precast concrete bridge beams as part of the Stockton Waterfront urban park project — a milestone in the £23 million regeneration scheme led by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Installed across four days in early July, the prestressed concrete beams form a 55-metre-wide land bridge over Riverside Road, connecting Stockton High Street to the River Tees and supporting a new public realm space. The beams, manufactured by Shay Murtagh Precast in Ireland, included 45 standard units measuring 21.5 metres long and weighing 17 tonnes each, and two edge beams weighing 35 tonnes apiece.

The operation was supported by reinforced concrete contractor BEMAC and delivered using a 200-tonne crane. Ahead of the installation, Esh’s project team visited Shay Murtagh’s facility to inspect the beams and ensure full compliance with project specifications.

The environmentally improved beams contain a 40% GGBS replacement for Portland cement, contributing to a lower carbon footprint. Once in place, they will support a deck poured with 170m³ of in-situ concrete, finished with granite, resin, and porphyry paving.

The prestressed concrete beams will form a 55-metre-wide land bridge over Riverside Road, connecting Stockton High Street to the River Tees, creating a new public space. The prestressed concrete beams will form a 55-metre-wide land bridge over Riverside Road, connecting Stockton High Street to the River Tees, creating a new public space.

David Player, contracts manager at Esh Construction, said: “The bridge beam installation is a key milestone in the Stockton Waterfront project and a testament to the collaborative planning and engineering expertise of all involved. With the beams in place, we can now move forward with casting the bridge deck and progressing the next phase of public realm works.”

The new urban park — procured through the North East Procurement Organisation (NEPO) and designed by Ryder Architecture and Billinghurst George & Partners — forms part of a long-term regeneration blueprint for Stockton-on-Tees. It includes event-ready green spaces, an amphitheatre, and an upper park play area, with work progressing steadily across multiple zones.

Cllr Richard Eglington, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, said: “This important milestone helps make the vision of reconnecting the High Street to the river more of a reality. The scale of change will also be felt across the entire Borough, with Stockton Waterfront set to be the catalyst for wider regeneration in Central Stockton and North Thornaby.”

Manufactured in Ireland by Shay Murtagh Precast in Ireland the beams include 45 standard units measuring 21.5 metres long and weighing 17 tonnes each, and two edge beams weighing 35 tonnes apiece. Manufactured in Ireland by Shay Murtagh Precast in Ireland the beams include 45 standard units measuring 21.5 metres long and weighing 17 tonnes each, and two edge beams weighing 35 tonnes apiece.
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