Images | Tower cranes defy rough seas for Norway bridge project

Swedish firm Skanska is the main contractor on the NOK 800 million (US$80 million) project to build a 240-metre-long bridge that will replace the existing ferry connection.

The bridge, on one of Norway’s most weather-exposed stretches of coastline, is a cantilever design. It will link coastal communities near Hardbakke across the Sognefjord. Work started in 2024 and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.

Three Liebherr 280 EC-H 12 Litronic tower cranes and one 132 EC-H high-top tower crane are being used to lift steel and concrete components directly from supply vessels onto the bridge structure.

With hook heights of up to 60.3 metres and working radii reaching 60 metres, the cranes are designed to maintain stability and precision under variable wind loads through Liebherr’s Litronic control system.

Each crane is mounted on a tailored foundation suited to the terrain, including cross bases, concrete foundations and, in one case, a steel frame anchored to the seabed. Liebherr said these configurations ensure stability and safe operation even when positioned partly over open water.

Four Liebherr high-top cranes are being used to construct a bridge on one of Norway’s most exposed stretches of coastline (Images courtesy of Liebherr)