Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Ltd

Silver Jubilee Bridge

Client: Halton Borough Council

Value: approx. £15 million for Bridge Maintenance Partnership Contract

As part of Balvac's(www.balvac.co.uk) four year Framework Contract to carry repair, strengthening and maintenance of highway structures in the Runcorn and Widnes area, work started with refurbishment of the underside of the suspended span of the Silver Jubilee Bridge.

The Silver Jubilee Bridge that spans the River Mersey between Widnes and Runcorn carries over 80,000 vehicles per day.  The project involved removal of the existing paintwork by grit blasting and application of a new paint system, undertaking steelwork repair and strengthening work, together with concrete repair and installation of a cathodic protection system, to the soffit of the road deck.  

As well as protecting the environment, maintaining traffic flow has also been a high priority so everything is accessed from below deck so as not to cause disruption. To make this possible access to carry out the works has been by scaffold hung from beneath the deck of the bridge which is encapsulated in protective sheeting.  Strict environmental controls are in place to deal with the hazards of the work and in particular to prevent pollution of Manchester Ship Canal and the River Mersey which both pass under the main span.

Other works undertaken to date include:

• The refurbishment of the bridge decks of the Widnes Approach Viaduct, Runcorn Approach Viaduct and Hutchinson's Siding Bridge:
• The application of protective wrapping to the hangers on the Silver Jubilee Bridge;
• Strengthening of the bridge piers on Station Road Bridge
• Concrete Repair and Cathodic Protection to the Widens Approach Viaduct Superstructure.

The delivery of the works programme has been achieved by the Balvac project team, led by a dedicated Framework Manager, working closely with the client and their designer throughout all phases of the project life cycle.  This integrated approach with Early Contractor Involvement has fostered innovation and reduced the time taken to get projects to site.

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