Twin Sails Bridge: crack prevented opening (From Bournemouth Echo)

Twin Sails Bridge: crack prevented opening

9:00am Saturday 10th March 2012 in Poole By Diana Henderson

A crack in the road surface is one of the reasons why the Twin Sails Bridge has not yet opened to traffic.

Despite the official celebrations taking place yesterday the £37million bridge scheme has yet to open to vehicles and no firm date has been given by Borough of Poole.

It admits that a number of “minor” issues have delayed the handover for the bridge from Hochtief (UK), one of the leading international construction groups, appointed in April 2010 to build the bridge.

After a final load test a crack was discovered in the road surface which needs to be repaired next week and there is another issue concerning a warranty agreement over a shock absorber in the lifting gear.

These are the latest delays to hit the bridge, which was due to open to traffic on February 27 after the mayor’s community weekend.

Borough of Poole said then the massive project was not finally completed and bridge operators had not been trained on the two-bridge system.

The Daily Echo reported in January that the bridge was going to miss its target of completion by the end of that month.

Jim Bright, strategic director, Borough of Poole said: “The Twin Sails Bridge is a complex structure and our contractor has made a huge effort to complete the project on time.

“Unfortunately a final load test has revealed a defect in a small area of surfacing.

“An examination today by the contractor’s material specialist has confirmed that some remedial work will be required. The area affected is about one per cent of the bridge surfacing and the contractor has undertaken to complete the remedial work at the earliest opportunity next week.

“This matter, together with a warranty agreement related to the bridge’s shock absorber, needs to be resolved before the structure is taken over by the council and traffic is allowed on the bridge.

“This is a frustrating situation, but a few more days of waiting is a relatively small matter in relation to the decades we have waited for a new harbour crossing.”