Looking after a crossing as busy as Rochester Bridge means always being ready for extreme weather.
Rochester Bridge Trust’s Bridge Team, along with maintenance contractors FM Conway, have been hard at work ensuring the bridges that make up the crossing are as free of ice as possible during the recent cold snap.
The historical nature of the Old Bridge, with its steel bowstring-shaped trusses and ornate features, means taking a careful approach to de-icing. Common de-icing measures can cause damage in the form of corrosion.
Instead, the Trust uses a solution more commonly employed on runways to prevent aeroplanes from skidding in icy conditions. This solution comes with ingredients that inhibit corrosion. It is also far more environmentally friendly than many other de-icing agents, and degrades naturally in water – important given it is used on a crossing over the River Medway.
Find out more about the Old Bridge by going to the Bridges section.