Scammonden Bridge

The Scammonden Bridge spans the Deanhead cutting carrying the B6114 (formerly A6025) Elland - Buckstone road over the M62. The original design of a single arch bridge was revised after consideration of the aerodynamic and vibration characteristics of the bridge. An important consideration in the redesign was to minimize disturbances in the airflow through the cutting, which would have led to snow drifting.

Due to the site's excellent geology for foundations, the design was changed to an open spandrel fixed-arch type bridge. The final design was completed through the use of a series of computer programs and the resulting solution proved to be both aesthetically pleasing and more economic. The arch has a span of 410 feet (120 m) supporting eight spandrel walls, with four further walls on the side of the cutting to carry the approach spans, carry a deck 660 feet (200 m) long, 120 feet (37 m) above the motorway.

All the 18 inches (460 mm) thick spandrel walls are designed with concrete hinges at the top and the shorter ones also have hinges at the bottom to accommodate thermal movements of the deck. The deck is made of pre-tensioned pre-stressed inverted T-type beams with in-situ concrete topping. The arch, which is of twin box section, is the largest of its type in the country.

The bridge, when built, was the longest single-span concrete bridge in the world. The bridge was just one structure on this section of motorway that cost £13.8 million, other structures being the dam and a foot bridge to carry the Pennine Way footpath over the valley.