Essential engineering works are due to begin on Monday, 1 April to renew the bridge deck waterproofing system underneath the bridge deck kerbs and replace the bolts that hold the kerbs in place.
Essential engineering works are due to begin on Monday, 1 April to renew the bridge deck waterproofing system underneath the bridge deck kerbs and replace the bolts that hold the kerbs in place.
The £3.8 million scheme will be carried out in four phases and is expected to take up to 12 months to complete. We aim to keep four running lanes of traffic throughout the works, although it will be necessary to introduce some closures at certain times.
The first phase of the works will focus on the south cantilever but access across the bridge for pedestrians and cyclists will be maintained until August 2019 and there will be no immediate effect on other bridge users.
Once the south cantilever phase has been completed, it will be closed to all pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooters for the remainder of the project. This will enable the south cantilever to be opened to westbound traffic and allow future phases to commence. Free shuttle buses will operate between the Tamar Bridge car park and Fore Street in Saltash throughout the day and night for those affected by the closure of the pedestrian and cycle path.
“Following the last inspection we identified that the deck waterproofing and steel fixings holding the kerb units in place were nearing the end of their serviceable life and needed replacing.“ said David List, General Manager of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee. “Carrying out these vital works at this time will ensure that the bridge continues to be maintained to an appropriate standard. This is a highly complex scheme which requires the use of specialist contractors.”
“While we recognise that there will inevitably be some disruption, we cannot carry out these works safely and efficiently without affecting some users. We are aiming to keep this to a minimum by keeping four traffic lanes open at all times. Closing the bridge to pedestrians, cyclists and mobility scooters and providing the shuttle bus service rather than closing a traffic lane will affect far fewer users.
“These planned maintenance works are essential to prevent the steel bridge deck from corroding and to ensure the continued safety of those crossing the bridge. The main works will be carried out between 7.30 am and 7.00 pm from Monday to Saturday. Some overnight work will be required but we will be working closely with the contractor to keep this to a minimum to help reduce the impact on our neighbours and residents living below the bridge.”
“We would ask all our users to adjust their journeys accordingly and to take care and follow all road signs and traffic management arrangements.”