In September 2009, May unveiled a life-sized Meccano bridge 23 metres (75 ft) long. The scheme was designed at the University of Liverpool by Architecture students and was then engineered by the design and engineering consultancy Atkins. The bridge comprises two parts; a swing bridge and a bascule bridge, which in total weigh about 1/2 tonne. It took 20 students and technicians more than 10 weeks to build, enlisting help from the University of Liverpool's Engineering Department to manage the project. The bridge's two sides have 14 sections within the swing side and 22 sections within the bascule side. Each section required around 40 hours to build to a sufficient standard. It was situated in the heart of Liverpool's newly redeveloped Pier Head. As the home to Meccano for more than 70 years during the running of the Binns Road 'factory of dreams' until 1979, Liverpool is an appropriate location for the bridge. It is also believed to be a new world record for the biggest Meccano bridge ever built, with over 100,000 individual parts per side — including 28,000 bolts.[18] After the successful completion of the project the student project managers were invited to the Lego House in Episode 5 for a party as a reward for their efforts.
Both sections of the bridge have remained at the University of Liverpool, with one of the two sections on public display within the engineering department.
click here to see where to watch or .
Ready to Watch James May Documentaries, Season 2009, Episode 13?