THE SECOND phase of essential maintenance works for the Menai Suspension Bridge is underway led by UK Highways A55 Ltd, and primary contractor Spencer Bridge Engineering, on behalf of the Welsh Government. The completion of this phase will help safeguard the Menai Suspension Bridge, a Grade I listed Georgian structure, for generations to come. This follows the success of Phase One which replaced 168 hangers using custom technology.
The latest phase of works includes essential maintenance to the bridge’s corbels, land saddles, parapets and underdeck as part of a new work programme. Currently, all of the bridge’s hangers are receiving new coats of paint and UK Highways A55 Ltd is finalising all the necessary certifications and approvals for each of the Phase Two elements. This new work programme has been optimised using new data and experience from Phase One, particularly the challenging weather conditions of the Menai Strait.
The new project will see Spencer Bridge Engineering’s teams carry out repair works on 15 of the bridge’s corbels – concrete beams which support the footway on the approach spans. During Phase One the team were able to repair 45 of the 60 corbels using rope access, but the remaining 15 require intrusive works to be carried out on site.
The team will also carry out repair and painting of the parapets, which run along the entire length of the bridge, as well as the load checking and re-stressing of the land saddles, which anchor the cables of the bridge to the ground on the Anglesey side of the bridge.
The Spencer Bridge Engineering team will deploy its innovative new modular moving access system for the first time, during the underdeck painting stage of the project. Named AeroTruss, this is an innovative access system which has been developed and designed by Spencer Bridge Engineering’s expert in-house team to address common issues associated with other temporary access systems currently available in the market, and is a game-changing development.
The AeroTruss system will ensure the team can safely access the underdeck of the bridge, while minimising load effects into the bridge structure, due to its aerodynamic properties.
Luke Fisher, Spencer’s Bridges Director, said: “We are delighted to be continuing our successful partnership with UK Highways A55 Ltd to restore this iconic bridge and ensure it can remain in use for decades to come.
“This project is particularly exciting for us as it’s the first time we are using our new AeroTruss system, which has been in development for over three years.
“With over 25 years’ experience in the bridges sector, we’ve become familiar with some of the common issues faced while working on high-level structures, so we’ve developed AeroTruss to address these issues and ensure we can provide clients with the most efficient, high-quality service, while protecting the historic structures we’re working on.”
As part of their commitment to deliver for Anglesey and north Wales, UK Highways A55 Ltd and Spencer Bridge Engineering continue to engage and appoint local contractors to support the work programmes where possible including all of the hanger painting technicians being recruited from the local area. UK Highways A55 Ltd and the Welsh Government remain engaged with local communities to advance plans for the 200th Anniversary celebrations for the bridge next year. Phase Two is planned to be completed ahead of the 200th Anniversary Celebrations.
A spokesperson for UK Highways A55 Ltd said “We are excited to have commenced Phase Two works for the Menai Suspension Bridge. We are confident in the robust planning, design, and execution of this programme to provide safe and resilient infrastructure for the communities of North Wales for decades to come and revitalise this iconic heritage asset.”
The Welsh Government along with UK Highways A55 Ltd, and its contractors, are grateful to the local community on both sides of the Menai Strait for their continued support during the works programme.
