The last steel beam has been put in place as the latest University of Central Lancashire building reaches the next stage.

On the edge of the Adelphi roundabout the Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) has begun to loom large.

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This week the final beam of 630 tonnes of steel was swung into place.

BAM Construction is now moving onto installing 150 lorry-loads of pre-cast flooring planks, some of which weight 11 tonnes and are 450mm thick.

Work began in November 2016 on the building which is costing around £20million.

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Chief operating officer at UCLan Michael Ahern said: “It’s exciting to see the building taking shape before our very eyes, and the timelapse footage only highlights the scale and magnitude of this project.

“The EIC will be a real asset to the University and the region, bringing enormous educational and economic benefits now and for generations to come. As an organisation dedicated to driving improvements to the community as well as our students, we are committed to delivering a first-class facility which Preston can be proud of.”

Around 500 locally trained engineering graduates each year in careers such as aerospace, energy technology and mechanical engineering are due to graduate each year from the centre.

Work is due to finish on the building in late 2018 or early 2019.

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The university has released timelapse footage showing the building coming together.

The engineering building is part of the university’s £200million masterplan for its Preston campus with the Adelphi roundabout due to be remodelled as Adelphi Square and a new student centre built linking up with the university’s library.

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