Handling of bridge work ‘a disaster’
A Conservative councillor has blasted how the Cleveland Bridge repair project was handled.
Vic Pritchard, leader of the B&NES Tory party and Chew Valley councillor, inset, said the works had been “handled appallingly” by the Liberal Democrat administration. He pointed to the delay in the bridge’s reopening as the reason for increased congestion in Bath and said it had deterred tourists from visiting the city.
All in all, the project was a “disaster”, Mr Pritchard said. His statement said: “I’m pleased to see that after 17 months of work and unprecedented levels of disruption on Bath’s roads, Cleveland Bridge has finally reopened to two-way traffic.
“While this renovation project has been necessary to ensure the long-term survival of the bridge, it has been handled appallingly by the Liberal Democrat administration. The reopening of the bridge to two-way traffic is 11 months overdue. Throughout this time congestion has increased, journey times are up, tourists have been put off from visiting the city and popular events have been cancelled. Furthermore, the cabinet member responsible has failed to keep residents and councillors properly updated on progress, leaving us all completely in the dark. We still haven’t been informed of the cost implications for taxpayers due to the additional 11 months of work. “I welcome the temporary retention of the 18-tonne weight restriction but cannot help but conclude that this project, while necessary, has been a disaster.” Kevin Guy, leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council and the representative for Bathavon
North, explained that there were a number of delays no one could have foreseen: “This was a very complex repair project. Cleveland Bridge is 200 years old, Grade II* listed and has a unique construction method, meaning bespoke engineering solutions were required.
“It was impossible to know the extent of the damage until we took the concrete off, it was impossible to take the concrete off before the scaffolding was put up, and it was impossible to put up scaffolding until the bridge was shut. This all
added to the difficulty and timescale, not forgetting the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic over the last two and a half years.
“The Tories carp from the sidelines but fail to disclose that they ducked taking on this complex piece of work when they were running the council. For them to insinuate that they have a crystal ball which means this work could have been done faster, whilst retaining safety, is a slur on the council officers, technical consultants, engineers and contractors who worked so hard to deliver this project, let
alone being incredibly unfair to Cllr Rigby.”
Cleveland Bridge reopened to two-way traffic on Sunday, October 2 for the first time since June 2021. Last summer, severe corrosion was discovered on the hangar bars that support the concrete trusses under the bridge. This delayed the repair project, which was originally estimated to be completed last November. The bridge is fully back in action – albeit with an 18-tonne weight limit – thanks to a monitoring system that will detect any signs of further damage.