The bascule bridge in southern England had been brought back into operation in December year following works to replace one of the main bearing pivot pins. This week’s operation, which involves replacing the second pin, is expected to take approximately one week and will require the bridge to be kept in the down position.
The bridge’s lifting operations have been experienced problems since 2018 (link opens in new tab).
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council said that it has made clear at the time of December’s pin replacement that more works were still required for full repair of the bridge, with an ongoing review taking place to determine a long-term solution.
“On the 9 April 2020, we decided to close the bridge and proceed with the next stage of repairs as soon as possible to prevent any further faults developing,” said the council.
Once the current phase is completed, the council will be able to operate the bridge in single-cylinder mode. The review to rectify the issues with the bridge will continue.
