Major Lift Replacement at Jodrell Bank

13/03/26 The Project Team are hugely excited to see work officially begin on the major Lift Replacement Project at the iconic Lovell Telescope. Sitting proudly at Jodrell Bank Observatory – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and part of the world-leading Centre for Astrophysics of the University of Manchester, this intricate upgrade will replace the passenger hoist that transports people and equipment from the platform beneath the upper dish to the focus box high above.

The design phase has been a real team effort, bringing together specialist expertise, detailed installation planning and even 3D modelling to get things just right.  Alimak, our hoist specialists, will be teaming up with Kaberry Construction Ltd to deliver the installation, with SDA Consulting LLP acting as Project Manager, Building Surveyor and Principal Designer throughout with AECOM acting as Structural Engineers.

The project remains on track for completion before Spring 2026, and we are all excited to play a role in restoring this world-class instrument back to its full scientific potential so it can continue to deliver groundbreaking discoveries, including aiming to detect the signatures of gravitational waves from merging supermassive black holes in the early universe, high-resolution radio imaging and observations of space debris and near-Earth asteroids.