Why Preston's Old Tram Bridge came down so easily - and when  the new one will open - video Dailymotion

Lancashire Post

We've been speaking to the engineers involved in the project.

Transcript

00:00Chris, Anthony, the last time we were stood on this site in May there was a bridge here,

00:05now there isn't, I suppose at this stage in a bridge demolition project that's about as

00:09much as you can hope for isn't it?

00:11Absolutely, it's been a really successful demolition project and it's taken less time

00:18than we originally anticipated, partly due to the condition of the bridge and partly

00:23due to weather conditions, but it's really good to see the bridge come down and we can

00:28really start a new project to build a new one.

00:30How long were you expecting it to take to demolish?

00:33We were sort of anticipating that it would be well into September, possibly towards the

00:38last week in September if it didn't go too well.

00:41It's been two weeks since we started and we're still taking some items away now, we worked

00:47in between a few high tides, a few days where we couldn't actually get in, so two weeks.

00:53In terms of the time that it did take, was that a surprise to you that it came down so

00:56easily?

00:58Yes it was, to us all I think.

00:59The actual in-river piers themselves were strong but the actual bridge decks themselves

01:03were very weak and came down, as everyone saw who was watching the bridge demolition

01:07very easily.

01:09People remember five years ago when it was closed overnight and the phrase that was used

01:13was it was in danger of collapsing without warning, was that what you found?

01:18Yes, the actual spans between the piers came down so easily, a lot of it is on social media,

01:25no doubt there'll be more shown in the coming days but they did come down very easily, yes.

01:30When it was closed it was because of this potential risk, in a way we would have preferred

01:37not to have to close the bridge and that we would have a bridge going forward that could

01:41be maintained, but in this case the condition of the bridge and in particular those beams

01:47was a real problem, it was recognised at the time and the inspection reports were peer

01:54reviewed and came to the same conclusion.

01:57What's next?

01:58What's next?

01:59The two new in-river piers are next, we're focusing on one this year with a further in-river

02:03pier to be built next summer, so we are delivering at the moment a number of bulk bags that'll

02:10be going out in the river early next week to start forming the cofferdams around the

02:14new pier locations.

02:16You have to leave, vacate the riverbed don't you at some point because of the fact that

02:21the Ribble is probably unbeknownst to most people a salmon river?

02:25We certainly do, to be honest I think that's not the critical factor at the moment, the

02:29weather is likely to be the ruling factor on that and working in the river but yes there's

02:35a period over winter and through spring next year that we can't do any work in the river

02:41at all because of fisheries concerns.

02:45When do you think the weather may well force you offside?

02:49We're hoping for an Indian summer but typically we would expect to be out of there by end

02:53of October, middle of November depending on how the weather gods treat us over the coming

02:58weeks.

02:59What will people actually see when the bridge is put in place, is it going to be like a

03:03Meccano set-up almost where it's put in place piece by piece or is it done in a shorter

03:08order than that?

03:09Yes, so it's going to come to site in a number of sections and then it'll be lifted into

03:15position by a large crane, a very large crane which again will attract a lot of attention

03:20and then it'll be connected together over the water course.

03:26What kind of time frame are you looking at for that element of the project?

03:31For autumn winter next year, so end of 2025 and we expect it to take a few weeks to pull

03:39that all together.

03:40So there will be, in the same way that there was half a bridge when you were taking it

03:43down, there'll be a point where there's half of the new bridge erected.

03:47I think your Meccano example is probably fairly accurate.

03:51Although a very big Meccano set.

03:53Because it does have to be, like I say, it comes in sections, it's fixed together and

03:57it's going to have to be held in place while that's going to take place.

04:01You were optimistically saying maybe a Christmas present for the people of Preston and South

04:05Ribble in 2025, the end of 2025, is that now looking like the opening date?

04:12At the moment that is looking like the completion date for planned completion is then project

04:20completions a bit later, that's going to run into 2026, but part of that's going to be

04:25reinstating the land, making sure that all the equipment's finished and taken away from

04:32site and that we're left with the view that we've got, but just the new bridge in place.

04:42Make the most of it, because soon it won't be like this again.

04:54We will have the new bridge, but I actually think the new bridge will add to the features

04:59of this amazing river.

05:01So I don't think it's going to take away, it'll just add to what we're seeing.

05:04But yeah, it's a really historic moment because generally, or for a long time, there's always

05:08been a bridge here and there will be again.

05:10But you're personally looking forward to it, to see it back in situ or its replacement in situ?

05:15Absolutely, yeah, and as somebody that used to live near here and my kids and I used to

05:20roller skate across the old bridge, we're certainly looking forward to it coming again.

05:24My kids now are adults, but I'll bring my cycle and cycle across it onto the other side

05:28onto South Ribble and it's going to be a great connection for people in Preston and people

05:32in South Ribble.

05:33How important is it, do you think, to build those active travel connections?

05:37I think it's really important, you know, we want, we're a council that's really concerned

05:41about the climate and I think it is important to try and get people off their cars.

05:47Also from a health perspective, cycling, walking is really good for you.

05:50So yeah, I think it is something that is going to be really, really important to the people

05:54of Preston and South Ribble.

05:56So more than a nice to have the replacement bridge?

05:58Absolutely, yeah, it's absolutely essential, I think, for the future of Preston and helping

06:04us move to net zero.

06:06Some of the redistributed Ashton Park funding should come to this project, potentially about

06:11£1.6 million.

06:12Do you think all of that extra will be needed or is that more of a contingency?

06:17I think it's more of a contingency because what we are facing is an inflated cost, construction

06:24costs and other costs.

06:25I mean, things are very expensive since we were successful with the project that was

06:29announced, so obviously it's sensible that this does have lots of community support and

06:33we do redistribute that money to support this project.

06:36The vast majority of this money has come from central government and we're delighted

06:40that we can support the community with this.

06:42I think it's going to be a fantastic facility.

06:45City Council often likes to trumpet the fact that it is generating local employment, local

06:49jobs and keeping spending local on projects like this.

06:52To what extent have you been able to do that with the old tram bridge's replacement?

06:57Well obviously it's an £8.2 million investment, which is very significant.

07:01We're using a charitable developer, which is within the Preston Economic Area, Eric

07:07White Trust.

07:08They're doing the bridge, Preston based John Bridge architecture is obviously involved

07:14in it as well.

07:15And the bridge itself, that's going to be sourced by Worley, which is about 10 miles

07:18away from here.

07:19So obviously through this economic intervention we're creating local jobs, supporting local

07:24jobs and supporting local businesses and supporting resiliency because the vast majority of how

07:29we regenerate our city now is actually in public ownership, which builds that resiliency

07:33and is also more democratic in the sense that the people you vote for have a say over what

07:37happens.

07:38LCC has put a million pounds into this project, what do you think the public good will be

07:43for that?

07:44It will be hard to measure in a traditional way, but I think the visitors to the park,

07:48the active travel users, the cyclists, the dog walkers who cross through this spot will

07:53be using it for 100 years or plus and so it will absolutely pay for itself over that time.

07:58I think it will prove to be a great investment.

07:59It's a priority for the County Council and we were really keen to support it, which is

08:03why we wanted to award a million pounds to it, which was a large sum of money to contribute

08:06to a project, but I think it's a sign of the ability of when organisations really contribute

08:11and work together in partnership, you get some fantastic collaboration and delivery

08:15is seen by residents.

Why Preston's Old Tram Bridge came down so easily - and when the new one will open

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