Tay Road Bridge in Dundee is undergoing a series of overnight closures as part of a £2m programme of ‘remedial works' being carried out by VolkerStevin.
According to Alan Hutchison, a bridge manager working for Tay Road Bridge, stated that the works were to renew part of a targeted impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system that was installed on the lower 6 metres of each of the bridge's supports in the early 1990s to monitor corrosion and cathodic protection (CP) performance.
CP is a way of stopping the corrosion of steel reinforcement embedded in concrete by applying a small electrical current.
This system is monitored every quarter by specialist corrosion engineering consultants, Corrosion Engineering Solutions Ltd (CES).
‘Monitoring confirmed that while the system is working well over the majority of the bridge, it was determined that it is non-functioning on piers 2 and 3, and the prognosis was that these overlays required complete renewal along with the replacement of several reference electrodes at other locations on the bridge,' he explained.
In March of last year, the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board (TRBJB) appointed VolkerStevin as the main contractor to carry out the remedial works, which were valued at £2.54m.
Mr Hutchinson added: ‘The works next week are bridge closures required to allow the safe installation of column cradles associated with the reference electrode replacements.'
While the walkway is expected to remain open and blue light emergency access will be maintained at all times, the bridge is scheduled to close to all traffic at 12.20am and open again at 5am on the following dates:
- Tuesday 14 April
- Wednesday 15 April
- Wednesday 22 April
- Thursday 23 April
- Tuesday 5 May
- Wednesday 6 May
- Tuesday 19 May
- Wednesday 20 May
- Tuesday 2 June
- Wednesday 3 June
- Tuesday 9 June
- Wednesday 10 June
- Tuesday 23 June
- Wednesday 24 June.
These closures are part of a 10-year plan for capital works, with the bridge management allowing for further CP works for 2034/35.
Mr Hutchinson also noted that they ‘hope to undertake replacement of the navigation span bearings in 2027/28' but added that all plans are subject to funding agreement with Transport Scotland, as well as TRBJB approval.
