Works to repair Pelham Bridge in Lincoln started on 7 June; with two weeks of work left, teams have started putting down the new road surface.
Work started on resurfacing both the roadway and the two walkways on the bridge last week. The resurfacing will continue this week and a second layer will be applied to the walkways.
Posts have been fixed into position ready for the signage to be fitted back on and we've also started installing the new pedestrian guardrails on the north side of the bridge in the central reservation. This work will also continue this week.
This week the street lighting columns will be lifted back into their positions on the bridge.
As announced last week, Pelham Bridge is set to reopen on Sunday 22 August.
Once it was stripped back, the bridge was found to be in a worse condition that expected. This created a lot more work, and our teams have worked hard to make sure these extra repairs only added a small delay to our initial schedule.
Unlike most highway jobs where the road surface is often one of the last jobs to do before the road can open, we still have a lot of work to do before 22 August:
- New bridge expansion joints need to be cut into the new surfacing; this can’t be done in advance due to the nature of the joint construction.
- The tidal flow variable message signs on the bridge need to be re-cabled, and the tidal flow recommissioned.
- The streetlights need re-erecting and connecting. These have to be either replaced or repaired, repainted and strengthened, so couldn't be done earlier.
- New traffic signal detector loops need to be cut into the new surfacing on the northbound approach to the Melville Street crossing, and these connected and the junction re-commissioned. Without these loops, the junction will not operate at optimum capacity.
- The new safety barriers need to all be installed over the bridge. These are essential as the 1950s parapets and cantilevers don’t provide sufficient strength to stop an errant vehicle in the event of an accident. This is critical due to the railway beneath the bridge, so not only to protect the vehicle driver and passengers but also the safe operation of the railway.
- The footway resurfacing has to be done in tandem with erection of the new safety barriers as the barrier posts are fixed beneath the footway surface into the bridge deck.
- The carriageway road markings need to be painted.
Thanks again to drivers across the city and beyond for bearing with us.