B&NES has just issued a press release concerning the expected future reopening of the blighted Cleveland Bridge.
Bath Newseum has already been told – in a video interview – by the Council leader, Cllr Kevin Guy, that the bridge should be two-way for light traffic by the end of September.
Seems it all depends upon the installation of a monitoring system. The release continues:
A detailed independent engineering report says a monitoring system would be a reasonable, precautionary measure to allow the bridge to reopen.
The report recommends a staged approach to the opening of the bridge, initially, the 18-tonne temporary load restriction would remain and if the monitoring showed there were no issues the bridge could open to normal traffic loads of 44 tonnes. A passive support system would be designed to provide longer-term surety.
Engineers have carried out a careful and detailed assessment, as well as further computer modelling, following the discovery of unexpected corrosion in hanger bars at the start of the year. More recent accurate information on the degree of section loss to the worst affected group of bars has become available using castings of the bars.
Now engineers have recommended the use of a monitoring system to provide ongoing confidence that the bridge remains safe once brought back into service.
The report says an intelligent monitoring system could be deployed relatively quickly and allow the structure to be brought back into service following a brief, initial period of monitoring under test loads.
And it says using the monitoring system would provide early detection of the onset of changes in the characteristic ‘fingerprint’ response of the structure and enable the introduction of control measures to ensure public safety in a considered, timely and measured way.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “Safety remains our number one priority. As the renovation of the bridge progressed, and previously unknown issues like the hangar bars have challenged the renovation, we have followed expert advice from independent engineers.
“The latest report before us by independent bridge engineers recommends using a monitoring system to allow the bridge to be safely brought back into service as quickly as possible, this option is being progressed with the aim of opening the bridge to two-way traffic by late September/early October.”
The severe corrosion on the Grade II* listed structure was revealed when sections of concrete were removed from the hanger bars, which support the main trusses of the 200-year-old bridge.
An independent engineering report produced in April set out the complex challenges to repairing these critical sections and recommended subsequent careful detailed assessment and computer modelling to find out if a bearing was a feasible repair option on the hangar bars.
While the assessments have been carried out other works have continued with main concrete repairs to the deck and trusses. Scaffolding on the bridge will start to be removed in August and the work is anticipated to take up to six weeks with the current traffic signals remaining until the monitoring system is operational.
Currently, diversion routes for all other vehicles and through traffic on the A36 via South Gloucestershire are available on the council’s Cleveland Bridge webpage , alongside background information on the renovation project and the latest report.
Let’s be clear about this, Cleveland Bridge was not repaired, it was strengthened in order to carry 44 Tonne HGV’s into and through our city. Now it appears that the Dept. for Transport has been conducting a ‘technical assessment'(Special Transport Operation or just plain old war?) since Aug 2021 to check the feasibility of increasing the maximum weights 6 axle HGV’s in order to increase freight ‘efficiency’. However, Cleveland Bridge MAY be saved from that ‘4 Tonne straw that would certainly break its back’ reading between the DfT’s lines “..that on routes where the road legs do not result in specific extra costs for relatively weak infrastructure, the quantified public benefits are likely to outweigh the costs and disadvantages..”. The consultation invites “Bridge owners …. to consider implications on their infrastructure and operation”. So, B&NES, your Planning Committee messed up royally in Oct 2020 by approving the strengthening of the Bridge. Please don’t mess up again, and just say ‘NO!’ to the DfT on this one.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/heavier-intermodal-freight-trial/48-tonne-intermodal-freight-trial-consultation-document
What a disappointment it will be for the residents of Bathwick Street and the local area if eventually the Bridge opens to 44 tonners. What a failure by central government not to recognise that this is no route for through traffic of this nature. BANES were suggesting that charges could be levied on such heavy vehicles through the CAZ irrespective of whether they were Euro 6 compliant. I hope they do this before the heavy lorry traffic starts to return to the A36 / A4 route.
Hi Richard, There’s a British satellite system that monitors over 3000 bridges worldwide and alerts if any changes are detected Buy British I don’t know how to contact them but any smart internet person should soon track it down Bruce
Why can’t our council leaders & MP demonstrate a resolve to improve congestion and air quality in Widcombe, Bathwick and the London Road by continuing the weight limit and restrictions to remove and reduce unnecessary traffic through our fragile city? Stop ignoring the damage caused by the heavy traffic and reroute it from Southampton to the M4 via Chippenham. Chippenham has a dual carriageway byepass, Bath does not.