A FOOTBRIDGE made entirely of Meccano and spanning100ft across Belfast's Clarendon Dock is set to be a world record breaker.
The Guinness World Record Team arrive in Belfast today to confirm what civil engineering students from Queen's University already suspect - their life-size cable stay bridge made from over 11,000 pieces of Meccano is indeed the largest in the world.
Dr Danny McPolin, senior structures lecturer at Queen’s School of Planning, Architecture and Civil Engineering who headed up the year-long project, said the bridge had been "measured and re-measured" and everyone was hopeful it wouldn't fall short.
"We are cautiously optimistic," Mr McPolin said ahead of today's official unveiling of the bridge designed and built by Queen's students with the help of local schoolchildren.
"The bridge was transported in five sections from Queen's earlier in the week and the most terrifying bit is already over - we were all holding our collective breath when a crane lifted it in one piece to position it over the water. Thankfully nothing broke off.
"We have measured the bridge and we know it is big enough to break the record - we will all be gutted if it is half a metre short. We will be getting the screwdrivers out again and adding a bit on."
Although robust enough to walk on, that experience will be confined to the engineering team only but members of the public are encouraged to attend today's special unveiling which runs from 12 noon until 3pm.
The Meccano bridge, to be illuminated by spotlight this evening, will remain on public view until Sunday, September 20, before being dismantled and distributed as Meccano sets to schools.
