Inspection barge ordered for Marlow Bridge testing

Structural engineers running stress tests on Marlow Bridge have ordereda river barge to allow work to continue below the road deck.

Since a 37-tonne lorry tried to cross the bridge on September 24, engineers commissioned by Buckinghamshire County Council, have been examining every part of the structure.

This week (w/b October 17) it became clear that seven areas of concern, identifiedby ultrasound and magnetic particle tests, would need more focused testing to establish whether suspension hangers need replacing.

In the coming two weeks, bare steel will need to be exposed for these tests. Above the road deck engineersare buildingan access platform, but below the deck ariver barge has beenrequested to allow moreintense testing of the highlighted areas on underside of the bridge.

Contract Manager Simon Dando said these more focused tests could be carried out only by removing decades of paintwork from the suspension bridge’s metalwork, and that engineers were working with the Environment Agency to cordon off a safety exclusion zone around the barge.

Above deck tests will be carried out during half term holiday week (w/b October 24), while engineers will use the barge to access the underside of the bridge the following week (w/b October 31). They will analyse their findings during the first week in November.

If they recommend replacing sections of the bridge, specially manufactured parts could take up to 12 weeks to make and a further eight weeks to install.

Mark Shaw, Buckinghamshire County Council Cabinet Member for Transport said: ‘We’re taking the utmost care with our testing, which I know is exactly what residents and businesspeople in Marlow and Bisham would expect of us.

‘I’m sorry that we need to close the bridge to vehicles, but the risks to engineers’ safety, not to mention the potential of additional damage to the structure, make it imperative thatwe keep it clear of traffic until we know the extent of damage and what repairs are needed.’

The bridge has been closed to vehicles, but open to pedestrians and cyclists, sincethe 37-tonne lorry, owned by Lithuanian haulage company Girteka, tried to cross the bridge on Saturday September 24. The bridge has a three-tonne weight limit.