A363 Bridge replacement Bradford-on-Avon

[Snow1964]

Interesting from BBC news today:

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

Road closed on Monday, but so far seems to be more site huts being placed than any actual work.

They have also coned off large part of BoA Station car park and more temporary buildings (including a noisy generator which you can hear in nearby homes at night) has arrived.

As at 10am yesterday station car park (and 2 nearest carparks) were all full, so loss of parking is already discouraging rail travel.

Some photos taken this afternoon

Just a lot of Herras fencing so far

Update 18th October (probably auto merge annoyingly)

After a week of fencing being up and road being closed, virtually nothing has happened apart from BT open link vans for a few hours and the area being fenced off extended along the footpaths

 

[Dave Beeching]

@Snow1964 you can see quite a few holes in the webbing of the bridge beam there in your photo!

 

[Annetts key]

@Snow1964 you can see quite a few holes in the webbing of the bridge beam there in your photo!

Yep, absolutely obvious that the railway treated the bridge as ‘maintenance free’ infrastructure…

 

[Snow1964]

Two weeks on from the road closure, it appears a bit of vegetation clearance at rail level has taken place, no sign of any dismantling yet

 

[Snow1964]

Some photos taken 6th November 2022

The stone walls which were a continuation of the bridge parapets have been demolished

Following copied from an email letter to local residents

Work has begun to remove the old original stone walls either side of the bridge and cutting the abutments. We are storing the bricks carefully and will be reusing these once the work is complete.

Within the next few weeks, we will be using a 60 tonne crane to move plant safely onto the railway (this is not the large crane for moving bridge sections) .

Forthcoming work, dates and times

Bridge excavating work and removal of old stone walls between 10pm and 8am from Friday 4 November to Thursday 17 November. Safety barrier fitting under the bridge (for the safety of passing trains) between 10pm and 8am from Saturday 22 November to Tuesday 22 November.

 

[Snow1964]

Some new pictures 13th November 2022

Seems 300kg of asbestos had to be removed from trackside

Stone walls have been removed at each end of the bridge

Saw cuts have been made in the abutments from a scaffold tower

The workers are from BT openreach, there were lots of new water main valves, elbows and tees stacked so currently clearly disconnecting utilities (where big holes have been dug to expose pipes and cables)

Some info boards have also appeared (2 pictures) and seems new bridge has been pre assembled near Cardiff

 

[WesternBiker]

Some new pictures 13th November 2022

Seems 300kg of asbestos had to be removed from trackside

Stone walls have been removed at each end of the bridge

Saw cuts have been made in the abutments from a scaffold tower

The workers are from BT openreach, there were lots of new water main valves, elbows and tees stacked so currently clearly disconnecting utilities (where big holes have been dug to expose pipes and cables)

Some info boards have also appeared (2 pictures) and seems new bridge has been pre assembled near Cardiff

That’s a really helpful update! Thank you.

 

[Snow1964]

Some scaffolding has now been erected under the bridge.

Cables seem to have been moved out of troughs

Utility companies have also been working in holes in road either end of bridge, so presumably preparing to disconnect any cables or pipes.

upcoming dates (from local residents newsletter)

• Scaffolding Work and laying of crash deck between 10am - 8pmfrom Saturday 19 - Tuesday 22 November
• Cable and track work between two shifts from 7.30am -5.30pm and 10pm - 8pm Wednesday 20 - Sunday 27 November

 

[Snow1964]

Some new photos taken today 28th November, appears to be some reinforced concrete foundations being cast, with quite hefty reinforcing bars, possibly for crash deck, but seems to me as excessive for a short term temporary bit of scaffolding to sit on.

The newsletter to local residents had said crash deck installation was due to finish last Tuesday 22nd, so clearly something has got delayed

 

[DelW]

Some new photos taken today 28th November, appears to be some reinforced concrete foundations being cast, with quite hefty reinforcing bars, possibly for crash deck, but seems to me as excessive for a short term temporary bit of scaffolding to sit on.

The newsletter to local residents had said crash deck installation was due to finish last Tuesday 22nd, so clearly something has got delayed

It's possible that the crash deck has to be designed to carry the weight of pieces of the existing deck during demolition, either as part of the intended method, or as emergency protection for the tracks if something breaks. If so an r.c. pad may be the best solution for a spread foundation. Having said that I wouldn't expect them to need anything much more than A393 mesh (10mm bars at 200mm centres each way).

 

[Snow1964]

Very little has happened on actual bridge, here is now a temporary scaffold walkway / footbridge on tunnel side and utility companies still working disconnecting either end.

New photo from platform level, with an A4 Pacific 4498 passing through tiday on a Victoria-Bath special

The other pictures are at road level, work seems to have stopped at the current time.

 

[Snow1964]

Update from local residents newsletter
Work now suspended until January
Crash deck bases concrete pours were delayed by cold weather and strikes
Completion date now delayed to August 2023, (was originally end March, then May) so now appears to be running 3 months late

A new photo with the crash deck bases shown

 

[Snow1964]

Looks like work is about to resume, as a small crane (I think it is a Roto telehandler) was delivered to the site yesterday.

Probably for moving around sections of crash deck or removing cut up sections of bridge, but obviously not a big crane for installing new bridge beams.

New photograh Saturday 7th Jan 2023
Some temporary columns (presumably part of crash deck) have been installed.

 

[DelW]

New photograh Saturday 7th Jan 2023
Some temporary columns (presumably part of crash deck) have been installed.

Looks to me like Mabey Mass 50 propping, which has maximum 600kN (roughly 60 tonne) axial load.

 

[Snow1964]

Update 18th January, the beams for the crash deck are now in place, although some need sliding across. A local newsletter says crash deck will be completed this week during nights. Presumably the disassembly of old bridge can then start.

Photo taken this morning attached

 

[Snow1964]

Some new photos of the crash deck, at the bridge taken this morning 29 Jan. There have been delays with complicated utility diversions so including a photo (sorry had to hold camera above fence so not best quality)

From local newsletter: Night work will resume on the installation of the crash deck this weekend between the times of 10pm and 6am, starting Friday 27 January until Tuesday 31 January (there will be no work overnight on Sunday 28 January).

Next, work will start on the scaffolding around the bridge, this will take place each night until Tuesday 8 February with delivery of materials to the bridge will take place during the day.

Update Friday 3rd Feb
Crash deck appears to be finished and small crane has been removed from site, but no demolition yet. Per local newsletter seems still waiting for utility companies to finish before demolition which will be another week or two

 

[Snow1964]

All seems to have gone very quiet on A363 bridge replacement in Bradfor-on-Avon

Road is closed, crash deck erected, but appears nothing has happened for at least 3 weeks.

Must be at least 4 months behind schedule now (although all the signs still say road is reopening in May)

 

[Phil G]

I was wondering what was going on. It's not helping the traffic in the town is it?

Maybe utilities are more complex than expected?

 

[Snow1964]

I was wondering what was going on. It's not helping the traffic in the town is it?

Maybe utilities are more complex than expected?

The most recent residents newsletter (dated 3rd March) says BT openreach are still trying to re-route cables

Now expecting to reopen road in September (was early May)

New photos Sunday 19th March
One of the metal bridge parapets now removed

 

[Snow1964]

View from platform Wednesday 22nd March 2023, with class67 and Pullman Victoria-Bath

 

[Snow1964]

Some new photos Easter Sunday.

Not much appears to have happened for last few weeks, a couple of extra holes in the road. Not clear why work has stopped.

The warning signs to pedestrians and motorists still show 5th May as reopening date.

 

[Snow1964]

Not done an update for a while.

Contractors for Electricity company have been connecting 2 electricity cables routed on the temporary scaffold bridge to bypass those on bridge being demolished.

Complete mystery to me why this is being done 7 months after road was closed, and only 2 weeks before the original road re-opening date.

Still no sign of any demolition, majority of the time, it remains with no one on site.


EDIT - Network Rail update to residents

Welcome to April's newsletter and our update on the renewal of the bridge near you.

What have we been up to... Utility companies have been on site over the last couple of weeks to complete vital diversion work, this has now been completed so we can now move on to the next stage of our work. Due to the delay of the diversion work being completed, this has meant that the road here will now be closed until the end of October. We fully understand the frustration this will cause, and the team on site will be working as hard as they can to make this target. What should I expect to see or hear over the next couple of weeks... The majority of our work will be carried out during daytime hours between the times of 8amand 6pm, which will involve tasks such as delivering materials to the site as well as completing various work on and around the bridge which won't affect the railway underneath it. There are a couple of night time shifts where we'll be using a crane to remove sections of the old bridge including the old bridge deck and various components. Saturday 13 May to Sunday 14 May Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 June Saturday 1 to Sunday 2 July For this work to be done safely and with no issues to the run-up of it, we will need to close the road fully and remove the drop-off and pick up point for a few days before and after the dates to all vehicles so that we can make sure the area remains safe for our workers to carry out the work but also for the crane to be moved in and out of place. We expect the road to be closed fully from the bridge towards Junction Road during the below durations; Thursday 11 May to Monday 15 May Thursday 22 June to Tuesday 4 July (Covers both crane lifts). We appreciate this will be an inconvenience for many, but it is necessary so that we can complete the needed work without further delay. We'll be back in touch to send a reminder out about the night time work nearer the time.

A crane has been removing the bridge side panels. Many of the holes in the road have been filled and bridge cleared of equipment and heaps of spoil from utility holes. These photos taken 28th April

 

[Snow1964]

Demolition of the bridge has now started.

Local notices suggest a crane will be onside next weekend to lift out main beams. Then will be back Sat 24 June through to Sun 2 July.

Looking through original presentation appears abutments need to be made ready, before new deck, so guessing that will be during June and then crash deck lifted out and new beams installed over two Saturday nights.

Apologies for pictures, had to hold phone camera above fence to take them.


UPDATE 13/5/23 unfortunately automerged

Just the 3 main beams, and 4 cross beams remain of the old bridge

 

[zwk500]

Quite a dramatic change!

 

[Snow1964]

Couple of new photos. Had to hold camera above herras fence so apologies for poor framing.

Although the residents notification said a crane would be lifting out old main girders yesterday (early hours of Sunday) doesn’t appear to have happened.

 

[Atomix330]

Although the residents notification said a crane would be lifting out old main girders yesterday (early hours of Sunday) doesn’t appear to have happened.

A drama that made the local paper.

The 'wrong kind of plates'? Or a weaker beam than expected?

 

[Snow1964]

A drama that made the local paper.

The 'wrong kind of plates'? Or a weaker beam than expected?

I suspect it was wrong ground spread plates for the cranes legs. Location where the crane needs to be positioned, has seen lots of digging holes to locate and reroute and reconnect the utilities. Although the holes were backfilled I am guessing being single carriageway the legs would have been on the pavements with their relatively uncompacted backfill. The pavements also have curved slopes across their widths.

The bridge beams are riveted plates, but are huge I shapes about 0.8m tall and 0.25m wide (approx dimensions from visual look from outside work fence) so unlikely to be weak.

I will try and get some photos tomorrow.

UPDATE Wednesday 17th, a truck with 4 large plates, about 2.3m square, each marked 1.6t and max load 320t has turned up. Also lots of foam peices (see photo), presumably to replace wrong plates, with foam to fit uneven paths



Thursday 18th May,
bridge has gone, the crash deck is now clearly visible. Apologies for obscure angles but had to hold camera above the security fence from nearest point I could get to

 

[edwin_m]

Doesn't look much different this morning from the previous post, but some of the girder remains and abutment on the Trowbridge side have gone (I couldn't see the other side well enough to tell). Information boards on the Bradford end give some details of what is being done.

 

[DelW]

Doesn't look much different this morning from the previous post, but some of the girder remains and abutment on the Trowbridge side have gone (I couldn't see the other side well enough to tell). Information boards on the Bradford end give some details of what is being done.

View attachment 136092View attachment 136087View attachment 136088View attachment 136089View attachment 136090View attachment 136091

While I appreciate their aims in keeping local residents informed, it's a pity that the notices repeatedly mis-spell St Margaret's Street, missing out the second "a" every time ...

 

[Snow1964]

All the demolition companies machinery (excavators etc) has now gone.

Seems to be some boards on the abutments, presumably having carefully removed the brickwork, now going to cast a concrete slab

Some pictures from Trowbridge end 6th June. There is now some steel rods sticking out the brick abutments



Friday 9 June (annoyingly auto merged)

Latest update, some concrete has now been poured on top of each brick abutment, seems to be more to level off on the exposed bricks.

large stack of timber formers has appeared, presumably to allow the top of the abutments to be cast. The latest local update is showing work overnight today (Friday) and again Sunday evening

Local residents update also says crane lifts have been slightly deferred, now weekends 1-2 July and 8-9 July. Not sure if both are for installing new bridge, or if first weekend includes removing sections of the crash deck. I assume easier to lift it out in big chunks and unbolt it on the road, rather than disassemble into small sections 6m up and have to slide it out when new bridge is over it.