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Wednesday 31 Mar 2004

FLIMBY FOOTBRIDGE GETS £150,000 FACELIFT

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Network Rail and Serco rRail pProperty recently joined forces to renew the main span and staircases of the footbridge at Flimby Station. The work, which cost £150,000 and took 12 weeks to complete, had to match the existing bridge as it is located in a conservation area. to match the existing work due to being in a conservation area; the project cost £150,000 to complete and lasted 12 weeks. The station footbridge was in need of a revamprefurbishment as there was considerable corrosion to the lattice steelwork, particularly that which supported the bridge decking, although the brick piers are sound., sStructural repairs were made to both staircases, new dual height handrails were fixed in position and non-corrosive anti-slip stair treads were installed. All the decking was replaced and coated covered with a corroless protective coating. The new main span was manufactured and coated off site. It The old bridge deck had to be removed using two specialist road -rail machines and waswhich transported it a1 mile down the track, where it could be removed via road transport in a high street environmenttaken away on a lorry. The new main span, which was manufactured off site, was lifted onto the existing brick piers on spread footingsin the same way, and from the start of lifting out the old bridge to lowering in the new took just under four and a half hours. The main span is 9,269m measured square from pier to pier. Photographs highlight the new span being tack welded to the existing staircase. The works were undertaken in a safe Guarded Green Zone, and from lifting the old section out and replacing the new took only 4 hours 20 minutes. Spokesman for network rail commented: “We are pleased with how efficiently this project ran, and the dramatic improvements which were made. We hope passengers welcome the improvements. While the work was being carried out, a temporary footbridge was provided to enable passengers to access both platforms.