ADEPT/RAC Foundation: Council bridges decline as scour checks fall

29/01/2021 | CHRIS AMES

The number of substandard road bridges managed by councils across Great Britain is increasing, new research shows.

According to the latest survey by the RAC Foundation, local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales have identified 3,105 bridges - structures over 1.5m in span – as being substandard.

This was 1.6% up on the 3,055 figure twelve months before. Councils responding to the survey are responsible for maintaining 71,656 bridges, meaning that 4.3% of the inventory is substandard.

Hammersmith Bridge

Substandard means unable to carry the heaviest vehicles now seen on British roads, including lorries of up to 44 tonnes. Many of the substandard bridges are subject to weight restrictions. Others will be under programmes of increased monitoring or even managed decline.

However, councils reported that, at the time they responded in Autumn 2020, 10 bridges across Great Britain had fully collapsed in the previous 12 months. A further 30 had partially collapsed.

The RAC Foundation said that, despite these failures, the analysis also shows an apparent large decline in the number of bridges being assessed for (scour) damage caused by river flow.

Foundation director and Highways columnist Steve Gooding said: 'We might not yet be at the stage where London Bridge has fallen down, as described in the nursery rhyme, but several other bridges across the country have suffered partial or total collapses.

‘At the same time there has been a worrying decline in the number of inspections carried out to examine just how much damage rivers, and the debris they carry, are doing to bridges below the waterline. This is storing up trouble for the future as our weather gets more extreme and traffic volumes rise again after the COVID-19 restrictions.’

Kevin Dentith, chair of the ADEPT National Bridges Group, said: ’The serious flooding we have just experienced across England means bridges with foundations in watercourses will have again been subjected to scouring. Bridge owners should satisfy themselves that appropriate action is in place to ensure the more susceptible bridges are protected.

‘As someone who has been promoting scour assessments at national conferences, webinars and advising Highway England with the BD97/12 update it is worrying that whilst the industry knows scour is the main cause of bridge collapse the survey shows the number of scour assessments has dropped so significantly where it should be increasing.’

Mr Dentith said there could be several reasons for this, including COVID-19 but that the trend needs to be reversed.’

The analysis was based on responses to FOI requests made by the RAC Foundation in October 2020 to 206 local highways authorities. Of the 206 councils asked, 199 provided data.

Between them, councils said they would ideally want to bring 2,256 (73%) of the 3,105 substandard bridges back up to full carrying capacity.

However, a lack of cash means they anticipate that only 392 of these will have the necessary work carried out on them within the next five years.

The estimated cost to bring all the substandard bridges back up to perfect condition is £985m (down slightly on the £1.1bn figure of a year earlier).

The study reveals that the one-time cost to clear the maintenance backlog on all 71,656 bridges is £5.54bn, down fractionally from the previous year’s figure of £5.55 bn.

Corroded cables on the A52 Clifton Bridge

The Foundation pointed to restrictions imposed on the 133-year-old Hammersmith Bridge over the Thames in London, with work required to re-open it estimated to cost £141m.

As another example of ‘the chaos’ caused when a bridge fails, it cited the congestion that arose following the closure of part of the A52 Clifton Bridge over the River Trent in Nottingham in February 2020 after corrosion was found to have affected steel reinforcing rods. The bridge is managed by Highways England.

The Foundation said that while no local authority manages structures directly technically comparable with the Morandi Bridge that collapsed in Genoa in August 2018, they do have a number of post-tensioned bridges with hidden cables. These bridges require intrusive inspections (Post-Tensioned Special Inspections or PTSIs) that can cost £100,000 each.

Highways InProfile

latest magazine issue
Highways jobs

Hire Desk Operative

Grade 8 £29,719 - £31,691 per annum
Well-developed IT skills and an excellent working knowledge of the Microsoft Suite are required. Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Streetcare Operative / LGV Driver - WMF2214e

£28,598 - £29,540
Applicants must hold a current full LGV Class C driving licence Cumbria
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Roadworker Trainee LGV Driver (2 Posts)

Grade 6 £25,989 - £26,458 per annum
We’re looking for Roadworker/trainee LGV drivers Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Roadworker/Driver (3 Posts)

Grade 7 £27,088 - £29,062 per annum
We’re looking for roadworker/drivers to be part of our team undertaking major highway, bridge Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Senior Engineer - Public Realm

£28,624 - £36,124
We are looking for a Senior Engineer to support the development Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Mobile Cleansing Operative

£24,796 to £25,989 per annum
We’re seeking a permanent Mobile Street Cleansing Operative to join our dedicated team serving a variety of urban and rural locations Harrogate, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: North Yorkshire Council

Roadworker/Driver

Grade 7 £27,088 - £29,062 per annum
We’re looking for experienced Roadworker/LGV Drivers High Peak, Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Engineer - Hosting and Security

£35,412 to £39,152 p.a. (Grade 9)
A vacancy has arisen within our Hosting and Security Team for an experienced, enthusiastic, and flexible Engineer, with the aim of helping to ensure t Durham
Recruiter: Durham County Council

Senior Engineer - Highways Safety

£28,624 - £36,124
Senior Engineer - Highways Safety Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Recruiter: Kirklees Metropolitan Council

HGV & Municipal Vehicle Technician

Scale 5 (scp 16-19) £30,518 to £32,061 pa
An LGV category C driving licence is an essential requirement, as is a National Craft Certificate Clitheroe, Lancashire
Recruiter: Ribble Valley Borough Council

Head of Parking

£86,274 - £89,667
Our borough is beginning a huge transformation. Redbridge, London (Greater)
Recruiter: Redbridge London Borough Council

Assistant Director Transport and Infrastructure

£115,958 - £120,407
Dumfries and Galloway Council is ambitious for our region. Dumfries and Galloway
Recruiter: Dumfries & Galloway Council

Professional Services Partnering Manager

Grade 13 £49,178 - £52,937 per annum
Shape the Future of Highways
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Director of Streets and Environment

£129,901 - £135,064
This is an exciting time to be joining Croydon. Croydon (City/Town), London (Greater)
Recruiter: Croydon Council

Highway Maintenance Manager

£59,568 - £66,801
As our Highway Maintenance & Drainage Manager Civic Centre, Keynsham
Recruiter: Bath & North East Somerset Council

Director of Transport

£103,292 - £114,280
The York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority was established as a new organisation in early 2024. Northallerton, North Yorkshire
Recruiter: York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority

Head of Economic Development

Grade 14 £54,867 - £60,971 per annum
Are you passionate about making a positive impact on the environment and shaping a sustainable future? Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Major Projects Manager

Grade £54,867 - £60,971 per annum
Do you want to make a real difference to ‘place’, be the driving force behind major capital projects and directly impact people’s lives? Derbyshire
Recruiter: Derbyshire County Council

Highways Network Engineer - WMF2169e

£45,091 - £46,142
This position offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on the resilience and effectiveness of our highway network. Kendal,Penrith or Barrow
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council

Highway Network Technician - WMF2168e

£28,598 - £29,540
This role offers an excellent opportunity to gain experience in a specialised area of highways operations while contributing directly Kendal, Penrith or Barrow
Recruiter: Westmorland and Furness Council
SUBSCRIBE NOW

Latest Video

Subscribe to Highways today to ensure you keep your finger on the pulse of everything happening in the UK road network throughout the year.

SUBSCRIBE NOW