Video footage has been released of Skanska’s successful demolition this weekend of a major West Coast Main Line railway bridge near Penrith in Cumbria.

The demolition is part of a £60m renewal scheme which will see a 130-metre-long bridge being removed and a new one installed over the first two weekends of 2026.

Network Rail and its principal contractor Skanska achieved the first phase removing Clifton Bridge in the early hours of this morning.

It required a full motorway closure of the M6 between junctions 39 and 40 from 8pm on Friday 2 until 5am on Monday 5 January.

A fleet of some of the country’s largest excavators were used to chip away at the 1960s-built concrete structure which spanned over six lanes of the highway for nearly 60 years.

After looming over the motorway for decades, hundreds of people came to see the structure turned to rubble in just hours over the course of the weekend.

Timelapse footage has now been released marking this major milestone in the project as the motorway reopened at 3.50am – 70 minutes earlier than scheduled.

For the next week thousands of motorists will travel underneath a large gap in the West Coast Main Line where the bridge once crossed.

Next weekend a modern 4,200-tonne steel and concrete structure will be moved into place during a further 57-hour motorway closure.

Rosario Barcena, Skanska UK rail programme director, said: “It’s been an incredible effort by the entire team to complete the demolition of the former Clifton Bridge, working 24/7 across the weekend to make sure that the M6 motorway could re-open on Monday morning.

“Technically it was a complex operation which we managed with great precision and care. The works were completed safely, with the support structures that the new 4,200 tonne bridge will sit on successfully retained.

“It’s been a super-collaborative approach with Network Rail, National Highways and our supply chain team. I’d also like to extend my thanks to people travelling in the region and the local community for their understanding while we undertake these essential works.”