Mott’s £6m Plan Approved For Hammersmith Bridge
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Construction Index.
This is the introductory paragraph.
Hammersmith & Fulham Council has approved a new plan to stabilise Hammersmith Bridge at significantly below the original expected cost, with works completing in less than a year.
Consulting engineer, Mott MacDonald have developed a solution to the bridge that is simple in the extreme.
This sentence describes the principle at the heart of the solution.
The Mott MacDonald solution involves the use of elastomeric bearings, which allow any pressure to be applied equally to all four corners while protecting the vulnerable 134-year-old cast iron structure.
There would also appear, that some very serious computing has been applied to allow the new bearings to be inserted, by just jacking up the bridge.
In addition to the cost and the speed of installation, the Mott MacDonald plan has been welcomed by Heritage England, will require less closures and doesn’t involve diversion of the gas main.
Conclusion
This intervention will stabilise the bridge and give time for a long-term solution to be developed, that will allow the bridge to be opened to vehicles.
Well if the Mott MacDonald work is so straightforward as suggested the reopening of the bridge will be fantastic.
If Hammersmith Bridge had closed in the early
1970 I doubt I would have ever met my wife seeing as her parent’s home was between Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush and I was from ‘Souf of the River’.
Comment by fammorris | August 17, 2021 |
Perhaps they’ll let you open it!
Comment by AnonW | August 17, 2021 |