VIDEO: These Contractors Don’t Waste Time. Amazing Time Lapse of the Demolition of a Bridge

It appears that contractors worked solidly for 15 and a half hours from 8pm on a Saturday to demolish a bridge across the M1 near Junction 12 in Bedfordshire. Not only this but they also worked to re-open the motorway straight away.

The work was carried out by hydraulic breakers made it so that the M1 had to be closed in both directions.

This means that the portion between Junctions 11 (Luton north) and 13 (A421, Bedford) had to be closed for the duration of the demolition with diversion routes created for those that needed to go through there.

According to itv.com, there are more delays and diversions on the way for drivers on the M1 through Bedfordshire. The motorway is due to close for 16 hours between Junctions 11 and 13 to knock down a concrete bridge.

The closure is scheduled from 8pm on Saturday 30th June, until midday on Sunday 1st July, as workers take down the old Junction 12 bridge near Toddington in Bedfordshire.

The reinforced concrete structure, which weighes 1400-tonnes, has not been used since a new bridge opened in May.

It needs to be demolished to make way for new slip roads at Junction 12, as part of the M1’s J10 to J13 motorway improvement scheme.

Highways Agency project manager Lynne Stinson said: “Work on the managed motorway scheme is progressing very well and we’re delighted the first phase will be completed this summer, and that we’re on target for full scheme completion in spring 2013.

“Demolishing the bridge at Junction 12 is a big engineering feat, and the only way that we can remove it safely and quickly is by closing the motorway.

“During the weekend, we do advise that people plan ahead, leaving plenty of time for the journeys and use an alternative route to the M1 if they can.”

“We wouldn’t be doing this unless we really, really had to. So I’d just say to people, this is part of the bigger picture.

Very soon, everything will be operational.” said councillor Angela Barker, the chariman of Central Bedfordshire Council.

The M1 will be closed in both directions between Junctions 11 and 13.

Northbound traffic will be encouraged to leave the M1 at Junction 9.

Southbound traffic will be diverted from Junction 13. The Highways Agency says drivers should allow up to an hour for this diversion.

This video has become viral because it shows that construction workers can actually work hard and get things done in record time.

People think that contractors prefer to slack off and not actually do much and ask for more time, time and time again, because they just don’t care about the job.

But the truth is that they are able to do a lot of things in a very short time if they decide that it’s worth it and that they are making enough money off of the job.

We’ve seen workers do a good job before, but this timelapse really got to us.