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29 Jun 00

£300,000 SUPPORT FOR POOLE BRIDGE MAINTENANCE

A further £300,000 has been awarded to the Borough of Poole for recent essential maintenance work on Poole's lifting bridge by the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR).

This additional funding will release resources for other road schemes in the Borough. Meanwhile more work on Poole's lifting bridge is due to take place this weekend, following the major refurbishment in April/May.

To keep disruption to a minimum, the work will take place overnight with traffic restricted to one lane from 7.00 am on Saturday 1 July until midnight and a complete closure of the bridge from midnight Saturday 1 July until 7.00 am on Sunday 2 July.

The additional work is needed to adjust the lifting mechanism which drives the bridge and realign one of the tracks which guide the leaves as they lift.

John Rice, Engineering Manager, Borough of Poole, said: "Currently the two lifting leaves are too tight when lowered and during a period of prolonged hot weather could jam. By moving one of the tracks which guide the two sides as they lift, we can ensure there is a 10mm gap between the leaves when they are fully lowered. At the same time a section of the lifting mechanism will be adjusted to ensure it fits exactly and provides a smooth lift. Although the bridge is fully working at the moment, if left unattended this could accelerate wear and tear on the bridge which lifts over 6,000 times each year."

Cllr Bob Williams, Chairman of the Planning and Transportation Committee, said: "It is not unusual to have some minor work following such a complex refurbishment on a 70 year old structure. By working with the contractor to do these adjustments now, we can provide a long term solution which will mean the lifting bridge is working well in the future. We welcome the additional funding made available by the DETR which means that we will be able to look at much needed transportation schemes elsewhere in Poole and provide solutions more quickly."

Work to complete the adjustments to the lifting bridge will take place over the following weekends to ensure problems are resolved as quickly as possible.

Editor's Notes:

DETR have increased their contribution for Local Transport Capital expenditure, which includes Poole Bridge, from £1,091,000 to £1,391,000. The current phase of the bridge works cost £630,000.

Additional work on the bridge is being carried out by the contractor, Qualter Hall, based in Barnsley, as part of the original contract.

John Rice , Engineering Manager, tel: (01202) 262111