While there’s so much activity going on above the bridges, it can be easy to miss the fact there’s also a lot going on underneath.
The more observant among you will have noticed areas of scaffolding poking up by the side of the Old Bridge, and sticking out from underneath, so what are we actually doing?
The simple answer is repairs. The underdeck isn’t visible and doesn’t have vehicles and people crossing it every day but it is still subject to the elements, which means it also needs to be maintained.
It’s relatively easy for our Term Maintenance Contractor to keep the above deck areas of the bridges in good order, but a little more complicated to carry out even the most minor repairs to a surface that’s directly over water, which is why we are making the most of the opportunity to get all these works done together.
Individual spans of the bridges are being closed – with one span kept open to river traffic at all times because keeping all traffic moving is a priority – and scaffolding has been erected. Now the task in hand is to carry out paintwork and stonework repairs, as well as installing pest defences. These may sound like small things, but a well-maintained bridge is a bridge that lasts.