A363 Bridge replacement Bradford-on-Avon

[Snow1964]

Network Rail are holding a public drop in on Monday 11th June 2022 4-6pm at St Margarets Hall, Bradford-on-Avon regarding replacement of A363 Bridge

EDIT : adding the Network Rail Presentation Link (full of photos and diagrams so not practical to quote it)

GB Trowbridge Road Council Presentation OIL Additions.pdf

drive.google.com

The existing steel Bridge is full of holes

Network Rail to hold public meeting on St Margaret Street railway bridge replacement - Bradford on Avon Town Council

Network Rail has announced a public meeting on the replacement of the St Margaret Street railway bridge in Bradford on Avon.

bradfordonavontowncouncil.gov.uk

Network Rail has announced a public meeting on the replacement of the St Margaret Street railway bridge in Bradford on Avon.

The public drop-in meeting will be held at St Margaret’s Hall on Monday, 11 July between 4pm and 6pm. Network Rail will have an on-screen presentation on the project.

The railway company is due to begin the work on Monday, 5 September 2022 and finish Monday, 3 April 2023. Below is the list of routes impacted, as well as the suggested alternative routes:

A) A363 (Part), Bradford on Avon; from its junction with Frome Road to its junction with Junction Road.

B) Footpath 32 (Part), Bradford on Avon; from its junction with A363 for a distance of approximately 10m in a north-easterly direction.

Additionally, there will be a temporary suspension of the existing One-Way Order on A363 St Margaret’s Street to facilitate a diversion for traffic.

Work is expected to commence in September and be completed by April 2023

 

[a_c_skinner]

Could the old one be craned out and a new one dropped in more quickly than that?

 

[snowball]

Could the old one be craned out and a new one dropped in more quickly than that?

Depends whether it's got mains services running through it.

From Google Streetview it appears a very constrained site, with houses right up to the bridge at all corners.

 

[158747]

I pass under that bridge regularly and have often wondered when it will be replaced. Due to its position with no nearby space to locate a large road crane combined with the difficulty of any large heavy haulage vehicles accessing that part of Bradford on Avon, I imagine that the new bridge deck will be assembled on site rather than the whole bridge deck assembly arriving on site and lifted into place as one unit, as often happens when bridges are replaced.

 

[Snow1964]

Depends whether it's got mains services running through it.

From Google Streetview it appears a very constrained site, with houses right up to the bridge at all corners.

Yes I suspect there are utility cables, (phone, electricity) because bit further up the road they change to cables strung from wooden poles. Might also be gas and water mains within the road.

The houses on all corners (very close to the road, none have front gardens) will make it quite difficult to set up a crane and lift things without taking them over a house.

The Frome Road (where photo was taken from) and the tunnel portal other side would probably restrict what beams can be brought in by rail wagon, they could, but would need to turn 90 degrees.

The medieval bridge in town centre is weight restricted, the southern approaches have hump back bridges (with double bends) over the Kennet and Avon Canal. The only way to get big trucks in is from B3109 then via Moulton Drive which is a newish crossing of the canal.

 

[1Q18]

Doesn’t look like there would be any scope to bring in one of the big Kirow rail cranes either, given the constraints of the site.

 

[edwin_m]

The bridge from which the OP's photo was taken probably rules out assembling something in the car park and moving it in along the railway. I'm guessing it will therefore have to be cut up and the new one assembled on site by craning in individual beams either from the road or from the railway. I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*, so they may extend the south abutment to reduce the span and create a bit of working space.

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

 

[JohnRegular]

The bridge from which the OP's photo was taken probably rules out assembling something in the car park and moving it in along the railway. I'm guessing it will therefore have to be cut up and the new one assembled on site by craning in individual beams either from the road or from the railway. I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*, so they may extend the south abutment to reduce the span and create a bit of working space.

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

There was once a goods yard on the north side of the station (you can still see where the goods line diverged at the east end of the avon bridge), but I don't think there was ever any track on the south side, which is where that extra room is. I can't imagine there was any intention of doing so either, as the southern platform is cut into a hill.

Anyone know if any provision is being made for eventual electrification? The current birdge doesn't look too bad in terms of clearance, but I haven't got my tape measure out to find out for sure...

 

[Snow1964]

The bridge from which the OP's photo was taken probably rules out assembling something in the car park and moving it in along the railway. I'm guessing it will therefore have to be cut up and the new one assembled on site by craning in individual beams either from the road or from the railway. I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*, so they may extend the south abutment to reduce the span and create a bit of working space.

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

The car park belongs to the vets that operate in the adjacent house

An old photo seems to show a black wooden hut (presumably a platelayers hut) just this side of the bridge on the right.

I too don’t know what the extra span space is for, as the Frome Road bridge (from where the photo is taken) doesn’t have the extra width. The deck of that was replaced sometime as it is concrete

 

[The exile]

The bridge from which the OP's photo was taken probably rules out assembling something in the car park and moving it in along the railway. I'm guessing it will therefore have to be cut up and the new one assembled on site by craning in individual beams either from the road or from the railway. I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*,

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

Broad gauge?

 

[zwk500]

Broad gauge?

The Tunnel Mouth doesn't align with the wider Abutment though.

Using the National Library of Scotland's excellent side-by-side feature, early maps show a Building of some kind in the space between the tracks and the retaining wall, between the two bridges. One map: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sid...1.34502&lon=-2.25143&layers=178&right=BingSat seems to suggest a path existed under the bridge (though it's very unclear).

 

[edwin_m]

There was once a goods yard on the north side of the station (you can still see where the goods line diverged at the east end of the avon bridge), but I don't think there was ever any track on the south side, which is where that extra room is. I can't imagine there was any intention of doing so either, as the southern platform is cut into a hill.

Not that much of a hill though - the fairly new step-free access only ascends a couple of metres. This image shows how the far platform might have been intended to become an island: https://www.flickr.com/photos/steve_franklin_images/15237665945/

The car park belongs to the vets that operate in the adjacent house

I was thinking of the station car park (former goods yard). There is quite often road-rail plant parked there that accesses the line via the gate at the river end. If the station was closed then there would be less demand for the car park, creating an opportunity to use it as a construction site. But as I say, I don't think it's practical to move a complete bridge span from there to where it needs to go.

 

[Snow1964]

The Tunnel Mouth doesn't align with the wider Abutment though.

Using the National Library of Scotland's excellent side-by-side feature, early maps show a Building of some kind in the space between the tracks and the retaining wall, between the two bridges. One map: https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/sid...1.34502&lon=-2.25143&layers=178&right=BingSat seems to suggest a path existed under the bridge (though it's very unclear).

Sorry, can’t find individual photos to link
But in this set, (quite a long way down) there is a 1962 photo taken from the platform towards the bridge which clearly shows it, appears to be a wooden permanent way mess hut (although photo caption describes it as a workman’s hut)

Bradford on Avon Railway Station

There is quite often road-rail plant parked there that accesses the line via the gate at the river end. If the station was closed then there would be less demand for the car park, creating an opportunity to use it as a construction site. But as I say, I don't think it's practical to move a complete bridge span from there to where it needs to go.

In same set of photos there is there replacement of the Avon viaduct in 1960 and there appears to be a bogie wagon loaded with steel bridge beams, physically being pushed by hand by about dozen men. Exactly from the point you are describing where the gate now is. Although these days modern PW crews probably would use a road-railer to push it rather than use brute strength

Have taken a new photo from the end of the platform, taken today at 11:05, the train is 2 cross country power cars coupled (no coaches) 43207 and 43301 on 5Z43 Liara to Liara

 

[edwin_m]

Sorry, can’t find individual photos to link
But in this set, (quite a long way down) there is a 1962 photo taken from the platform towards the bridge which clearly shows it, appears to be a wooden permanent way mess hut (although photo caption describes it as a workman’s hut)

Bradford on Avon Railway Station

In same set of photos there is there replacement of the Avon viaduct in 1960 and there appears to be a bogie wagon loaded with steel bridge beams, physically being pushed by hand by about dozen men. Exactly from the point you are describing where the gate now is. Although these days modern PW crews probably would use a road-railer to push it rather than use brute strength

Have taken a new photo from the end of the platform, taken today at 11:05, the train is 2 cross country power cars coupled (no coaches) 43207 and 43301 on 5Z43 Liara to Liara

View attachment 117481

Thanks for the link. I've definitely seen that book and may even have it somewhere. Of note, the other similar Brunel-designed stations shown also have extra canopy etc on the non-entrance platform making it look as it if was intended to be an island, so this may just be a standard feature of the design rather than any indication that was planned here.

From the same photos, Frome Road bridge (where the OP took their photo) was replaced sometime between 1966 and 1992. In 1962 the Trowbridge Road bridge (the one currently subject to replacement) was either the same structure as today or a very similar one.

 

[Snow1964]

From the same photos, Frome Road bridge (where the OP took their photo) was replaced sometime between 1966 and 1992. In 1962 the Trowbridge Road bridge (the one currently subject to replacement) was either the same structure as today or a very similar one.

The St Margaret’s bridge (becomes Trowbridge Road bit further up) appears to be decades old, if you look closely at the photo in opening post you will see extra steel plates patching it up slightly above the current holes which aren’t there in 1962 photo. I guess it has reached the point where more patching isn’t practical.

The parapet (tunnel side) is much taller than the one in the photo, I have no idea why the 2 sidewalls of the bridge are different.

The Frome Road Bridge (which has a shorter span) was replaced with concrete decking planks, I am guessing they are the Inverted T shape where a reinforced concrete deck is laid on them.

 

[Bald Rick]

Could the old one be craned out and a new one dropped in more quickly than that?

the time of work happening on site (months) is not the same as the time needed to have the bridge closed or the railway closed.

 

[Snow1964]

So I visited the Network Rail presentation

The current bridge seems to be iron beams, with brick arches between the beams.

The plan seems to be to erect a scaffold and board crash deck on a number of Saturday nights during September and October (above the trains, but below the existing bridge deck). I guess this indirectly answers the question about clearance for electrification, because if this fits, then plenty of room for overhead. The short working window each week seems to explain the long timescale.

There will be two temporary bridges about 1.5m each side, one for utilities, the other utilities and a contractor walkway. The current deck has high voltage electricity cables one side, low voltage and phone and broadband the other. There is also gas mains and a cast iron water main. All the pipes need a diversion via the temporary bridges and cables need slewing onto them.

Late October and November the existing bridge is broken up, and the beams lifted out by a medium size crane (the biggest that will fit). There simply isn’t the room to lift it out in big chunks so has to be be broken up in situ. Then the roadway will be dug out a bit each end so that pads for new beams can be installed on the existing abutments.

In December the new bridge beams get installed (concrete). Then the deck is installed, utilities replaced, and new side walls installed. Getting all this done and the temporary structures removed will take until about March 2023.

Network Rail hope to give copy of the presentation to local council for upload, if they do I will link it.

 

[Ediswan]

The current deck has high voltage electricity cables one side, low voltage and phone and broadband the other. There is also gas mains and a cast iron water main. All the pipes need a diversion via the temporary bridges and cables need slewing onto them.

That is what they know about. One of the many delays to replacing the Fish and Eels bridge over the River Lee was unexpected buried services, all of which had then to be identified.

 

[DelW]

So I visited the Network Rail presentation

(snipped)

Network Rail hope to give copy of the presentation to local council for upload, if they do I will link it.

Thank you for the detailed summary of what's proposed. It would be good if you're able to post pictures of progress in due course (accepting that you may not be close enough to the site or indeed may not feel like staying up overnight to watch ). It sounds like it'll be quite an interesting job though.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Snow1964 . Just to clarify, is it proposed that the A363 on the overbridge will be closed to road / pedestrian traffic for several months?

Will it still be possible to get from the South side of Bradford-upon-Avon, where the railway station is, to the main (North) side of the town, on the other side of the River Avon, without a lengthy diversion?

 

[Snow1964]

@Snow1964 . Just to clarify, is it proposed that the A363 on the overbridge will be closed to road / pedestrian traffic for several months?

Will it still be possible to get from the South side of Bradford-upon-Avon, where the railway station is, to the main (North) side of the town, on the other side of the River Avon, without a lengthy diversion?

Frome Road will still be open

 

[swt_passenger]

@Snow1964 . Just to clarify, is it proposed that the A363 on the overbridge will be closed to road / pedestrian traffic for several months?

Will it still be possible to get from the South side of Bradford-upon-Avon, where the railway station is, to the main (North) side of the town, on the other side of the River Avon, without a lengthy diversion?

Although an A road in number, the road is relatively narrow and only used in one direction southbound, so that half of the through traffic will just have to use Frome Rd and Junction Rd, as the northbound traffic does already. The two isolated road sections either side of the bridge will have to become temporarily two way to allow access to properties. The southbound diversion is only adding about 200m extra distance.

 

[Snow1964]

The Network Rail Presentation on how this bridge will be dismantled in situ and replaced is now available (going to edit the opening post and add it there too). It is full of photos and diagrams so not practical to quote it.

GB Trowbridge Road Council Presentation OIL Additions.pdf

drive.google.com

 

[Snow1964]

The bridge from which the OP's photo was taken probably rules out assembling something in the car park and moving it in along the railway. I'm guessing it will therefore have to be cut up and the new one assembled on site by craning in individual beams either from the road or from the railway. I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*, so they may extend the south abutment to reduce the span and create a bit of working space.

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

Have been doing some research and there might be something in the the theory that the platform had provision to become an island which explains the wider span.

I have discovered that the triangular site (now Barton Close and Midland Close) was timber yards with sheds. There was also a large patch of land (between the station and river bridge) used as allotments (nowadays still within railway boundary). Have now discovered the site of the timber yards was bought from the railway in 1960 by Keates garages (who moved from smaller premises in St Margaret’s Street)

In the 1960s the garage moved to Frome Road, on to land bought by the family from the railway. The picture shows Oliver�s great-grandfather, Reg on the forecourt of the new garage.

More information on Keates Car and Van Garage - Trowbridge car garage, Wiltshire, Car/Van garage, Car/Van servicing, Car/Van MOT, Car/Van Repair

Keates car and garage are a local car garage based in Trowbridge, Wiltshie which specialise in customer service. We do car/van MOTs, car/van repairs, car/van servicing and prode ourselves in customer service.

www.keatescarandvan.co.uk

So it looks like a parcel of land for a second yard on other side of tracks to the main goods yard was actually railway land (but never used). I am guessing another bridge span under Frome Road could have been built if a track had needed to access a platform loop.

 

[Snow1964]

A small amount of work was done this week which needed a couple of days closure of the footpath (the same one which will be closed for few months from next month).

The work seemed to be on phone and/or broadband cables, so maybe some rerouting of cables was undertaken.

Nothing yet on actual closure of the bridge.

 

[Annetts key]

I notice also the bridge span is rather longer than it needs to be*, so they may extend the south abutment to reduce the span and create a bit of working space.

*And wonder why - the platform looks as if it might have been built to be an island, but I'm not aware there was ever a loop round the back of it.

Looking carefully at the alignment between the two bridges, the wall of the cutting, as well as the boundary at the top of the cutting, it looks like there may have been a short refuge siding here connected to the main line via a trailing point. The only likely purpose would have been to hold a locomotive, presumably to clear the main line in between shunting movements.

This current and obviously very old alignment does not make any sense if the railway had future intentions for a possible additional platform line on the south side, or line into a rail freight yard on the south side. The key to the railways possible future intentions, I think, would be history of the patch of land just south of the railway between the two bridges (now 5A Frome Road / Chris Cryer Architects/bodubodu Luxury Teepees).

Also, do we know which road (and hence which original bridge) came first? Or did both roads exist when the railway was built?

 

[Snow1964]

Looking carefully at the alignment between the two bridges, the wall of the cutting, as well as the boundary at the top of the cutting, it looks like there may have been a short refuge siding here connected to the main line via a trailing point. The only likely purpose would have been to hold a locomotive, presumably to clear the main line in between shunting movements.

This current and obviously very old alignment does not make any sense if the railway had future intentions for a possible additional platform line on the south side, or line into a rail freight yard on the south side. The key to the railways possible future intentions, I think, would be history of the patch of land just south of the railway between the two bridges (now 5A Frome Road / Chris Cryer Architects/bodubodu Luxury Teepees).

Also, do we know which road (and hence which original bridge) came first? Or did both roads exist when the railway was built?

I cannot find any record of any loco siding there, but there was a wooden building, which looks like a platelayers hut, which appears to have been there from at least 1870s (if not earlier) until about 1970s

The station buildings were built in 1848, but due to lack of money, line did’t get opened until 1857, was originally broad (7 feet) gauge, station seemed to have 2 platforms from start, but line was initially single, and the river bridges were wood (rebuilt later).

Both roads seem to predate the railway, and were around at least 200 years ago. An 1837 map shows a building (appears to be a cottage) in the line of road and road narrowing past it, this building is where the tunnel side of bridge is now, so presumably was demolished. However the ground behind (then called French grass) is marked as site for spoil from tunnel, so possibly the extra bridge width was related to a ramp used to remove the spoil from tunnel

Off topic, but here is a picture of the old timber river bridge, the stumps of some of the timbers are currently visible as river levels are low

https://www.bradfordonavonmuseum.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/station/IMG_7514A_2.jpg

 

[Snow1964]

Yellow warning signs have now be placed on the road saying road will be closed from 7am on Monday 5th September.

So work appears to be starting next week.

EDIT 2nd September, signs have been taken down
seems work has been put back about 5 weeks, starting 10th October and now not finishing until early May

No idea of reason, but it always seemed strange they intended to start work just before the route gained diverted cross Country services during the closure of Bristol-Taunton line for a week mid September.

 

[Snow1964]

Just received an Email from Network Rail
Road closure now starts on Monday 10th October

Dear neighbour, Trowbridge Road bridge replacement, A363 St. Margaret’s Street Update You may have noticed us in the area recently while we prepare to replace the bridge where St. Margaret’s Road crosses the railway line. We started work at the beginning of August and plan to complete by June 2023. As an update, the road here will be closed from Monday 10 October 2022 for approximately 30 weeks, which will include part of the footway at St. Margaret’s Place. There will be fencing erected and lockable gates at each end of the road closure. It’s important to make sure that if you need to use your car, it’s moved and kept outside of the road closure. Permit holders will be able to use the Bradford on Avon Station car park during the closure, please contact Wiltshire County Council for further information or for any queries you may have relating to Permits. Our hours of work will generally be as below, but please be aware these may change. Dates and times of shifts:

Road closure at the bridge from Monday 10 October 2022 to Monday June 2023 When the railway is closed, we will be using large machines which can be noisy and we are sorry if our work causes a disturbance to your home. Pedestrian access will be maintained to homes and businesses, and a diversion route (see below) suitable for all vehicles will be signposted in advance of the closures. However, there will be no access over the railway bridge on St. Margaret’s Street:

 

[Dave Beeching]

Interesting from BBC news today:

BBC News: Wiltshire bridge beyond economic repair to be replaced

Wiltshire bridge beyond economic repair to be replaced

Works on St Margaret Street Bridge in Bradford on Avon are due to take eight months.

www.bbc.co.uk