A host of ongoing transport projects have been thrown into limbo, after administrators announced Cleveland Bridge will cease trading next week.
Newport City Council is the first to confirm that a retendering process will happen for its Transporter Bridge restoration project - previously awarded to Cleveland Bridge - with other councils and clients expected to follow suit.
Cleveland Bridge was due to carry out the Newport work under the latest contract awarded in February. The restoration of the bridge began in March but is not scheduled to be complete until the start of next year.
The impact of the collapse on Cleveland Bridge's other current projects remains to be seen. After an initial halt in work the firm restarted production on 9 August after terms were agreed with customers.
At the end of last month, bridge beams for National Highways' Bean and Ebbsfleet bridge on the A2 in Kent were finally installed following a delay caused by Cleveland Bridge's challenges.
The beams were manufactured by the firm in Darlington before being transported to Kent for installation.
However FRP partner and joint administrator of Cleveland Bridge Martyn Pullin has now confirmed that "production will finally end on site later this month".
A National Highways spokesperson said: “We are aware of the situation at Cleveland Bridge. We reviewed the effect this could have had on our projects, taken appropriate action and avoided any disruption."
Other Cleveland Bridge projects include a “substantial refurbishment” of Bristol’s Redcliffe Bridge.
Jacobs has also been brought in as design consultants and work was earmarked to take place this summer, pending design approval.
In addition to this, in March Cleveland Bridge completed the installation of the first of a trio of bridges that will form key elements of a major infrastructure project in Lancashire.
Working in partnership with main contractor Costain and project engineers Jacobs and Atkins, Cleveland Bridge designed and fabricated the bridge in five 50m sections each made up of five pairs of girders to form a crossing over the Lancaster Canal and the Preston to Blackpool railway line.
The second of the three structures - the Becconsall bridge - was installed over the M55 motorway last month.
However, the third and final bridge the Savick Brook Viaduct is yet to be completed. The 278m-long, six-span bridge is due to be erected in March 2022.
Network Rail has said it has no direct work with Cleveland Bridge. A few of its tier 1 suppliers use the firm but have awarded works to alternative suppliers, and so the rail operator is not expecting any impact to its projects.
A number of interested suitors had been tipped to acquire the company but talks have now broken down.
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