Engineers investigating a snapped mast on the WilkinsonEyre-designed Twin Sails Bridge in Poole found a new fault which made further closures necessary last week
The bridge, which was the world’s first triangular-leaf lifting bridge when it was completed in 2012, closed to traffic last Monday (January 16) after one of its 55m illuminated masts snapped when workers were investigating a fault with the encoder. This piece of equipment tells the operating system where each leaf is positioned.
But a crew fixing the mast found that the 140m bridge also had a hydraulic fault and a problem with the bearing plates, AJ sister title NCE reported.
Engineers made initial repairs on Wednesday and replaced the bearing plate on Thursday. The bridge remained closed to traffic for several days before reopening on a reduced schedule over the weekend and on Monday.
Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, which operates the bridge, said it anticipated that the bridge would reopen to traffic fully this week. The Twin Sails Bridge, which links the two sides of Poole harbour, was built as an alternative route to the Poole Bridge, with either one of the crossings to be open at all times, except in the event of an emergency. But the newer bridge, built by contractor Hochtief, has been beset by problems since it opened, with faults affecting the road surface, lifting mechanism and bearings.
‘It’s never-ending; just continuous issues,’ said Julie Bagwell, a local councillor for Hamworthy, one of the wards that the bridge links with the town centre.
‘While the design is iconic and looks great on a postcard, sadly, it’s not too good as an actual working bridge,’ she told local newspaper the Bournemouth Echo. ‘For me, it’s just one in a long line of problems. How long will it take to mend it? And will they even be able to mend it? I’m really disillusioned by it.’
Bill Constance, chairman of neighbourhood group Poole Quays Forum, said: ‘They just have to get it right and I can’t believe they’re that far off getting it right.’
After a closure in 2019, the head of the council called the faults ‘completely unacceptable’ for residents and local businesses.
WilkinsonEyre declined to comment.
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