Media centre

Monday 22 Sep 2008

INTERACTIVE ROAD SIGNS TO PROTECT ‘BASHED’ BRIDGE

Region & Route:

Network Rail is funding a £48,000 project to protect Scotland Street railway bridge from enduring further damage and destruction.

The bridge, which is located in Ashton-under-Lyne, has gained a reputation as the most ‘bashed’ in the whole of Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire. It has been hit a reported 38 times in the past five years and it is suspected that, due to the incidents which go unreported, this figure could be even greater.

Every time the bridge is struck by a lorry or large vehicle the railway track above has to be closed until a bridge inspector can survey the damage. Total delays to trains have risen to 5,000 minutes and Network Rail has had enough.

In order to try and prevent this problem occurring in the future Network Rail has worked with Integrated Design Techniques Ltd and Tameside Council to develop four interactive signs which will alert drivers to the low bridge. The signs are located on Scotland Street, Park Parade, Whitelands and Whitelands Road.

Infra red beams located in advance of the interactive sign will measure the height of the approaching vehicle. When a vehicle is detected that is too tall for the 4.4m high bridge the interactive sign alerts the driver to change his route. The beams incorporate a device to prevent the signs being activated by vandals. Even when the sign is not in use it continues to display a statutory warning message.

Network Rail’s area general manager Gary Openshaw said: “With each crash comes a serious delay which affects our passengers and closes the road. Now we have the new interactive signs, drivers can have no excuse for crashing into Scotland Street bridge.”

The new signals rely on drivers remaining observant and attentive at all times and so they cannot guarantee an end to the problem. However, Network Rail is confident that the interactive signs will significantly reduce the amount of accidents involving the bridge.

Network Rail is funding the supply and installation of the scheme, whilst Tameside Council has agreed to cover the annual maintenance of the system.