Mega shed for retailer taking shape

A huge distribution warehouse for retailer T J Morris is being constructed at the Omega Business Park near Warrington.

The £118M project is being undertaken by main contractor Bowmer + Kirkland, with Caunton Engineering fabricating, supplying and erecting 6,000t of steelwork.

The steel-framed structure is 448m-long and features a high-bay section, which encompasses 174m of the building’s overall length and reaches a height of 34m. The remainder of the warehouse (low bay) has a height of 22.5m.

Offering 77,100m² of floor space, the entire structure is three spans wide, with a further span created by a lean-to.

The main spans in the high bay area are up 54m-wide and are formed with a series lattice trusses, while the low bay zone is a portal frame with spans up to 49.5m-wide.

Internal columns in the warehouse are arranged in a hit-and-miss configuration to avoid obstructing the facility’s mechanical handling equipment. The building also incorporates a two-storey office block.

Straddling the M62 motorway near to Junction 8, the Omega Business Park covers an area of 775 acres and is said to be the largest mixed-use development in the North West.

The T J Morris warehouse is expected to be completed by January 2025.