Last week Esprit’s recently re-opened Trafford Docks in Manchester saw the arrival of a 130 tonne transformer en-route from South Korea to Stalybridge.
The transformer travelled 15,400 miles by sea, via Rotterdam, finishing up on the Manchester Ship Canal into the heart of Manchester, leaving only 21 miles to travel by road.
Unloading the ship required careful planning by Osprey Heavy Lift with the final stretch of the journey by road undertaken by Allelys Heavy Haulage.
The 152 wheeled, 300 tonne vehicle was escorted by Greater Manchester Police, which took approximately 6 hours to travel the 21 miles.
The project was the culmination of over 6 months planning.
“We’ve invested heavily in refurbishing the Trafford Park Docks to make shipments like these feasible once again. Works which included load testing the quayside, ground borehole testing and providing removable fences, barriers & gates to accommodate overweight and oversized loads have all paid off. This has meant our docks are now a favoured location for large freight movements into the North West. The more we can encourage the use of the Ship Canal for moving freight, the more we can reduce congestion and pollution on the roads.”