The early inspection of bridges along the route is vital to the project due to its location running alongside the river and the streams which flow into it.
A thorough inspection of the bridges will certify that they are in good condition and structurally sound in order to support the new railway.
Five underbridges which are the structures that sit beneath the railway – across the route have seen inspections and a programme of work is currently being carried out in order to bring them up to the correct standard required to enable the project.
Every structure will be grit-blasted which will remove the old paint from the bridge, taking it back to the base metal. Any corroded sections of the bridge will see replacement and repairs wherever needed. The bridges will also see the installation of new timber bridge decks and will both strengthen and support what will soon become a double-tracked railway running over them. Following this work, the bridge will be repainted using a special paint system which will guarantee that it is waterproofed and coated protecting it for 25 years.
In order to carry out this work safely, Network Rail build fully encapsulated access scaffold which surrounds the bridge on all sides, including underneath making sure it is fully covered and sealed. The encapsulation process protects the work being carried out from the effects of the weather but even more important is protecting the environment from the old toxic lead paint, stopping it from leaking out into the surrounding environment. Another benefit of undertaking the work in a sealed environment means that any toxic spoil can be removed in a controlled fashion and disposed of in an appropriate way.
Sean Clemie, Senior Project Manager for the structures work on the route said,
“In the same way as the old trackbed is being dug out and replaced to bring it up to modern standards, the same principle applies with the underbridges on the route.
“Taking them back to their base metal lets us see clearly what we need to do to repair and replace any damaged or corroded steel sections, as well as strengthening the timber bridge decks.
“Once we have carried out the structural repairs, we can then apply the specialist paint system that lasts for 25 years and ensures the bridges are coated and protected against the impact of weather and corrosion – something which is particularly important in a coastal location
For those wondering exactly what is going off beneath the big white tents that will be popping up between now and August on bridges along the route – you now have all the answers!
On the map the line seems to be about 10km long.