When it comes to connecting distant terminals, airports have several options. Some might opt for a shuttle train system, such as at New York JFK or London Heathrow. Some might simply go with a bus service, as seen in Dubai. However, London Gatwick has a passenger bridge to connect its North and South terminals. This bridge spans a live taxiway and is sufficiently wide and high enough to allow a Boeing 747-400 to pass underneath! So how was this achieved?
London Gatwick is the United Kingdom’s second-busiest airport. In terms of airports operating with just one runway, it ranks among the busiest, once experiencing a take-off or landing every 65 seconds at peak times. To facilitate the airport’s impressive activity, the airport is divided into two terminals. Ensuring passenger connectivity between these two facilities is an impressive overhead bridge- capable of accommodating a jumbo jet beneath it.
“The bridge did not need to allow for the A380 to pass underneath as there were no aircraft stands beyond the bridge which could take A380s.” -Scott Brownrigg
Connecting two terminals
To look at the story behind this bridge, we have to turn to the firm responsible for constructing it: The Mace Group. Responsible for Heathrow’s relatively new Terminal 5 as well as Mumbai’s Terminal 2, this firm was tasked with building Gatwick’s Pier 6 Bridge and Taxiway.
The project’s goal was to increase the capacity of the airport’s North Terminal, which was a new satellite building that accommodated 11 aircraft stands. To ensure a good level of connectivity, a 197 meter-long pier bridge was built to link it to the South Terminal.
“A landmark project, it is the first of its kind at any airport in the UK, and the largest development since the North Terminal opened in 1988.” -Mace Group
Off-site fabrication
Mace Group notes that extensive off-site fabrication had to take place, noting that 73% of Pier 6 was built using prefabricated elements and components.
“The pier connector was constructed off-site to ensure minimum disruption to airport operations, construction in-situ would have closed the taxiway for more than six months, resulting in a huge financial impact to BAA through loss of revenue.” -Mace Group
Working offsite for much of the time, the firm poured in one million hours of labor for the project. Airport Technology notes that the fully enclosed bridge design was based on the human spine. Let’s see what it took to actually install the prefabricated structure.
Onsite installation
Being constructed offsite, Airport Technology notes that the air bridge was moved into position in May of 2004. Installing a bridge that weighs 2,660 tons to a height of 32 meters is no easy task.
Mace Group notes that the bridge was moved into position over a single night. This was done with the use of self-propelled modular transporters (eight L450 lifting jacks), moving at 0.5 km an hour.
With this method of installation, the taxiway was reopened to aircraft after just ten days. Mace Group states that this could not possibly have been executed without “modern techniques in heavy moving and lifting equipment.”
Have you had the opportunity to walk over this unique bridge? Share your experience with us by leaving a comment.
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