Photographs © Ian Collard 2008

The former Heysham #3 linkspan was towed to Merseyside by the tug SEA TROJAN on Saturday March 15, 2008. Here she is seen entering the Mersey.  She was taken into the Liverpool Dock system via Langton Lock.

The Heysham #3 linkspan was originally built by Navire for the Isle of man Steam Packet Company and designed to sit alongside the south side of Edward Pier Douglas. Unlike many linkspans this was designed to be moveable sitting on caissons which when pumped out gave the structure buoyancy. It was rendered redundant following the completion of the Isle of Man Department of Transport linkspan which was erected on the north side of Edward Pier and commissioned in 1995. The span was towed to Birkenhead for layup. With the ownership of the Isle of Man Steam Packet company passing to Sea Containers - the then owner of Heysham Port the span found a new lease of life at Heysham where it was installed as a third linkspan and remained until this year. With Heysham Port having passed first to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and latterly to Peel Ports upgrade work at the port saw it rendered redundant in 2008 by a new floating linkspan of similar design to the Heysham #1 linkspan installed early in 2007.