Wednesday 2nd Jun 2021 16:45: Please use the "Menu" option followed by Free Tamar Shuttle service for pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooters to access Shuttle bus schedules - Thank you
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Tamar Bridge

12 June 2021 23:03

Plymouth (Westbound)

Light Traffic

Saltash (Eastbound)

Light Traffic

Torpoint Ferry

12 June 2021 23:03

Devonport (Westbound)

No Wait (1 Ferry Service)

Torpoint (Eastbound)

No Wait (1 Ferry Service)

Ferry - Devonport - 13:52 Plym left early due to blue light ambulance to Torpoint ... See MoreSee Less

11 hours ago  ·  

Ferry - 12:02 - The 12:05 service from Devonport departed early carrying a blue light emergency vehicle. ... See MoreSee Less

13 hours ago  ·  

Resurfacing update 11 June Following the removal of the majority of the remaining surfacing material from the south cantilever earlier this week, shot blasting – where a specialist machine is used to blast grit/shot onto the deck to remove any stubborn remains of material - has now begun. This will provide a clean surface, enabling engineers to thoroughly inspect the steel deck and welds for cracks or damage. Work has also been continuing today on removing the remaining material from the edges on the North cantilever. Once this has been completed this deck will also be shot blasted. We are continuing to closely monitor traffic flows, both on the bridge and on surrounding roads, and reacting to any build up of traffic as quickly as possible by changing lane directions on the bridge. Normally our control room staff would change lane priorities up to 10 times a day in response to changes in traffic demand. During the past few days, however, the team have been changing priorities up to 40 times.Thank you to everyone who has been helping us to ease congestion on the bridge as quickly as possible by moving lanes in a safe way in response to the overhead signs. We appreciate the challenges that the resurfacing works are causing for bridge users and people living and working in the surrounding areas. We are continuing to work with Highways England to look at potential options to address the specific issues affecting Saltash. We are continuing to provide our shuttle service to enable pedestrians and cyclists to cross the bridge safely. There are also other forms of transport available for people to use during this period, including bus and train. Details of bus services and timetables are available from both Cornwall Council and Plymouth Council, as well as individual operators. There are also a number of rail services from South East Cornwall who go into the centre of Plymouth and onwards into Devon, some of which stop at smaller stations such as St Budeaux, as well as at Saltash station. Information about services, including tickets and offers, is available from Great Western Railways (www.gwr.com/stations-and-destinations/stations/saltash) as well as from local community groups, including Saltash Rail Users Group (Saltash Rail Users Group . ... See MoreSee Less

1 day ago  ·  

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Ferry. 18:30. Queues have now cleared from Devonport. 2 ferry service with a short wait either side of the river. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago  ·  

Ferry. 17:40. Busy at Devonport, 30 minute wait. Torpoint running clear. ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago  ·  

Resurfacing update 10 June 2021 Today has seen work continuing on removing the remaining surfacing material on the two cantilevers. Since the start of works at the beginning of June VolkerLaser have removed the surface of both cantilevers to within 5 -10mm of the existing steel deck plate. They have also cleaned 85% of the remaining surface and exposed the steel deck plate on the westbound cantilever, as well as removing all the asphalt from against the kerbs. This same removal work is now continuing on the eastbound cantilever and is expected to be completed by the end of the weekend. The FIP expansion joints have also been removed, inspected and replaced on both cantilevers.Engineers will start inspections of the steel deck on Monday to identify any welding repairs that may need to be carried out. These inspections and welding repairs will be co-ordinated to take place alongside the enclosed shot blasting of the steel deck so that paint ‘primer’, the first stage of the waterproofing system, can be applied to the bare steel deck to protect the steel from corrosion. Subject to appropriate weather conditions, and once the primer has cured, we will begin applying the two layer waterproofing system, providing additional corrosion protection to the steel deck. Once this has been completed, a ‘tack coat’ will be applied on top of the waterproofing. This will help the new surfacing material bond to the waterproofing, creating a composite surfacing system. Some people have commented that they were unable to see many staff working on the bridge when they drove by. The permitted working hours within the contract are between 7.30 am and 7pm and we are monitoring the works closely to ensure that they remain on schedule. We have continued to be asked why work cannot begin earlier in the morning and / or later in the evening, as well as overnight. As we have previously explained we need to consider the impact of the works on the people who live close to the bridge. We understand why some travellers might prefer longer working hours if that leads to the scheme being completed more quickly, but we need to consider the safety of the workforce as well as the impact on nearby residents. Removing the existing surfacing material and preparing the steel deck for the laying of the new surfacing material is highly specialised and time consuming work. The layout of the cantilevers, a single lane width, is an additional challenge as it is very difficult to safely have large groups of workers and heavy machinery close together. This restricts the amount of plant, equipment and the number of people working on site at any one time. The scheme involves a number of construction processes that need to be carried out in a certain order, similar to a factory production line. Many of the processes require applied materials to become dry or fully cured before the next process can happen. This creates natural breaks in the work or processes, and can prevent work on a new process from being started at the end of a day. Yesterday the surfacing material was removed from a 170 metre length of the westbound cantilever, with 300 metres of edging removed on the eastbound cantilever. The edging work involves using specialist machines called breakers. This is an intensely physical task which requires small teams of workers to rotate the operation to limit the effects of Hand Arm Vibration syndrome. This means that some workers will be stood down for short periods of time. To ensure that the work is carried out as efficiently as possible the teams are taking breaks to coincide with the tipper lorries or sweepers leaving the site rather than stopping at set times. Another question we have been asked is why the Tamar Bridge has a steel deck rather than a traditional concrete one. The original concrete main deck was replaced with a new, lighter main deck in 2001 when the bridge was widened and strengthened. At the same time, both of the cantilever lanes were added. All the decks on the bridge are constructed from steel plates that are stiffened longitudinally using steel channels/ribs – this is known as an orthotropic deck. This lightweight method of construction allows the bridge decks to carry more weight than traditional concrete decks. However, just like standard road construction, bridge deck surfacing has a limited lifespan as the impact from traffic eventually causes deterioration. The lifespan of our surfacing depends on many factors including the type and thickness of the materials used, quality of workmanship, the number of vehicles using the bridge, the number of heavy goods vehicles, the axle weights of vehicles and environmental factors such as wind or hot and cold temperatures that cause the bridge to move or vibrate. With 45,000 vehicles a day regularly crossing the bridge, it is vital that the deck, the two giant 76 metre high concrete towers and 1340 metres of main suspension cable, are inspected and maintained to an appropriate standard.Routine inspections of the bridge are carried out by our team of engineers every four months. These have shown that the surfacing material has worn out and is nearing the end of its useful life. If not replaced, there is a significant risk that the steel bridge deck could be damaged either by corrosion or through fatigue, and start to crack and break up, creating an unsafe surface for bridge users. As previously explained the resurfacing was originally due to be carried out during 2020, but was postponed until this year because of the coronavirus pandemic and the need to complete the kerb replacement works before resurfacing. We recognise that this is a difficult period for our customers, and we are doing everything within our control to complete the works as quickly and safely as possible, and minimise the impact of the works on people using the bridge and living and working in near by communities. Information about the scheme, including responses to frequently asked questions, are available on the Tamar Crossings website : www.tamarcrossings.org.uk/tamar-bridge-resurfacing-project-april-2021/tamar-bridge-resurfacing-pr... ... See MoreSee Less

2 days ago  ·  

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Resurfacing update 9 June 2021 Work has continued today on removing the last of the remaining deck material from the two cantilevers. Once all the material has been removed from the decks, the surface will be inspected for any damage and repairs carried out in readiness for the waterproofing to be carried out. This process is going well and VolkerLaser remain on schedule to begin the waterproofing next week. During the past few days there have been a small number of breakdowns and accidents on both the approach roads to the bridge and the bridge itself which have caused a build up of traffic and delays to drivers. We are working hard with our partners to manage traffic flows on the bridge during the resurfacing works and are very sorry for the inconvenience caused by delays. Following some confusion over who is responsible for managing such incidents we thought it would be helpful to explain what happens in these situations. Like all other suspension bridges, the Tamar Bridge is subject to vehicle breakdowns, abnormal load crossings, police incidents, emergency service priority route requests and environmental impacts such as high wind events. Vehicle breakdowns and accidents also take place on the roads leading to the bridge, including the A38. Detailed plans, developed in partnership with Highways England, the police and Cornwall, Plymouth and Devon Councils, are in place to ensure that any incidents are managed in a safe way and the affected lane or road re-opened to traffic as quickly as possible. Dealing with breakdowns on the bridge itself is the responsibility of Tamar Crossings. We have a number of light and heavy recovery vehicles on constant standby to cater for break downs and aim to have vehicles removed and the lane re-opened as quickly as possible. In the case of an accident on the bridge, however, we have to wait for the police to attend the scene and, after investigating the incident, to arrange for the recovery of the vehicle. Yesterday afternoon’s traffic build up on the bridge was the result of an accident involving two vehicles which was attended by the police. Damage to one of the vehicles meant that the police had to call in a specialist recovery vehicle to remove it, which caused some additional delays to re-opening the lane. We understand the frustration that the delays caused to people using the bridge and, as soon as the vehicle had been removed, changed the lane priorities to clear the queues. Managing accidents and incidents which take place on the approaches to the bridge (such as the A38) is the responsibility of Highways England and the police if needed. This means they are responsible for arranging for a broken down or damaged vehicle to be recovered and then re-opening the road. This was the case last week when a vehicle broke down on the A38 westbound prior to the bridge. Although the vehicle was not on the bridge, the breakdown restricted the approach to the bridge, causing delays to traffic coming into Cornwall. While we do everything we can to assist in these cases, we need to wait for Highways England to deal with the incident and re-open the road before we can start changing lane priorities to clear the backlog of traffic. In this case as soon as the road had been re-opened by Highways England, we changed the lane priorities on the bridge to help clear the backlog.During an incident that affects the road network we work closely with Highways England’s Regional Operational Control Centre in Bristol, informing them of delays and sharing information. This enables messages about potential delays to be shown at key junctions. We also work together to provide information about congestion via the media, social media and our websites as required. One of the effects of the Covid pandemic during the past eighteen months has been on traffic behaviour and the times people travel. This has led to a shift in “peak times” to a more dynamic pattern with no identifiable regularity. This change in behaviour has created additional challenges for our control centre staff, who now carry out multiple lane changes during a day to reflect the shifting demand in priorities. While there has been some return to more usual travel patterns during the past few weeks, and an increase in the amount of traffic using the bridge, the levels are still below pre pandemic levels.As explained in yesterday’s update we are working with Highways England and Cornwall Council to investigate potential options to mitigate the impact of the resurfacing works on Saltash. We are continuing to encourage eastbound drivers to use the A38 rather than the Saltash off slip east bound as a short cut to help reduce queuing traffic in North road and access to Fore street. We are monitoring the trial closely and are also investigating the use of additional variable message signs and other measures. ... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago  ·  

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Ferry - Devonport - Lynher left at 11:11 with blue light ambulance ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 11:12. All lanes now re-opened. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 11:00. Centre lane closed for abnormal load crossing. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 10:00. Lane 1 has now been reopened. The bus has been recovered. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 09:30. Recovery on site to assist the broken down bus in Lane 1. We will re-open the lane at the first opportunity once it has been removed. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 09:20. Lane 1 closed due to broken down bus. Awaiting recovery. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 08:38. Broken down vehicle has now been removed. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 08:28. Delays to change lanes due to vehicles eastbound remaining in a closed lane. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 08:17. Police in attendance to vehicle breakdown. Only one lane eastbound after the bridge. Please drive with care. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 08:00. Very heavy traffic east and westbound. Delays of up to 15 minutes. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 07:53 Delays to change lanes due to vehicles remaining in a closed lane eastbound. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

Bridge: 07:45. Vehicle broken down on A38 eastbound after the bridge. Only one lane open as vehicles are driving around. This is causing delays back across the bridge eastbound. ... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago  ·  

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