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Friday 14 Nov 2014

Major work to strengthen Hawarden railway bridge completed

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Wales & Borders

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail has completed an £8m project to make the iconic Hawarden bridge across the River Dee stronger. The bridge is fit for the future and better able to cater for the ever increasing demand for passenger and freight services.

The main truss of the railway bridge, which was built in 1887, has been strengthened with new steel plates and given a new coat of paint to protect it from corrosion and improve the bridge’s appearance.

Jonathan Pegg, route asset management director for Network Rail Wales, said: “Thousands of passengers use Hawarden railway bridge on the Borderlands line to cross the River Dee every day.

“This iconic structure has been in use for more than a hundred years and our work to strengthen the bridge will ensure we can use it for many years to come.

“A robust railway is vital to a thriving economy and we are building a better railway, which is safer, more reliable and more efficient.”

During the scheme, the four metallic spans of the bridge were grit blasted to remove old paint layers and then repainted. The work was carried out in 30 metre sections and the structure was encapsulated to protect the environment from dust and debris from the work.

This bridge is a listed structure, with the central span designed as a swing bridge, which previously allowed shipping to pass. The bridge has long-provided an important link between Deeside and the original John Summers and Sons steel works. This link now also provides access to the cycleway along the Dee embankment to Chester and to the Burton Point cycleway, improving access to the Wirral coastline.

The public walkway on the bridge has remained open to public throughout the duration of the work, which started last year.