Squinty Bridge Closed

[galoot]

From http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.2000943.0.0.php

WORK will begin tomorrow on repairs to the £20million Squinty Bridge.

But contractors are so worried about the safety of the structure that initial work will be done from a barge on the River Clyde.

Only when temporary cables are put in place will workmen be allowed back on the bridge.

The crossing, which links Finnieston to Govan, was closed to traffic two weeks ago after one of its supporting cables crashed on to the road.

It was found re-inforced steel rings connecting it to the top of the arch had sheered.

A detailed inspection last week found a second connecting ring on the other side of the bridge had a slight crack.

All work stopped until it was decided how to proceed with repairs.

Robert Booth, city council executive director of land and environmental services, said a barge would be constructed on the river today.

He said: "Our concern was there was a second crack so we could not put stress on the bridge, but doing the work from the river means we do not have to go on to it.

"Each cable weighs three to four tons, so when that cable fell it would have gone through a bus like a knife through butter."

The first step will be to fit temporary hangers alongside permanent supports.

Once that is done, workmen will be able to go back on to the bridge and begin lowering the permanent hangers one at a time.

A new connector will be fitted and the cable reconnected to the arch before the next support is brought down. When all 14 are complete, the temporary supports will be brought down and the bridge re-opened.

But the work is expected to take up to six months.

[AzimScot]

Hi,

Does anyone work for Nutall or any companies repairing the squinty bridge?

Thanks.

[Fossil]

Hi,

Does anyone work for Nutall or any companies repairing the squinty bridge?

Thanks.

you the Polis?

[AzimScot]

no but i live right next to the bridge and want to monitor developments as they happen.

I use the bridge daily and it causes havoc for me getting to and from work. Impacted me time wise and also financially.

it would be good if someone knew who worked for them to tell us all what is being done.

I know that they are working at weekends now rather than Mon-Fri, which will hopefully god willing speed things up. I can here vibrations on my house each morning with the huge cranes!

[Socceroo]

I use the bridge daily and it causes havoc for me getting to and from work. Impacted me time wise and also financially.

Swim

[elgee]

Hi, Azim, this situation must cause a real diffiulty for you. I know so many people that even for the short time the bridge was open felt it made their access to work etc easier. I know that it deffo made mine easier , not just geting to and fro from work but to do my work as many of the people I need to see on a daily basis are in Plantation/Ibrox/ Govan and my office is in Anderston. I would really appreciate any info on the timescale, if anyone knows as to when we can expect the bridge being open again.

[Josef]

It's a twenty-minute walk from Anderston to Ibrox.

[viceroy]

It's a twenty-minute walk from Anderston to Ibrox.

Indeed. If you can't use the bridge it's a relatively short detour via the walkway at the Exhibition Centre. Obviously if you use a car it's a different matter. So one up to us pedestrians on this occasion, I'm glad to say.

[AzimScot]

what I know is that they workers are working on Sat/Sun at the weekend which will speed things up.

I also heard the council is pressuring Nutall and the other companies repairing the bridge to get it open asap as companies like the hotel etc are losing mega business.

They had a massive support unit on the water today! There doing something major.

[Socceroo]

They had a massive support unit on the water today! There doing something major.

Yep like trying to fix a bridge quickly before it collapses.

[OLDFART]

yip makes you fell real confident

Though the bridge was designed to allow for the removal of one of these supports, the impact of the failure of the second is still unclear

if the bridge was designed for removal of one of cables, why are they crapping themselves the impact of 2nd one ......... conclusion ....a big twang of squinys knicker elastic and it will come down with a spash

[onyirtodd]

I know we're only poking a bit of fun at the bridge and the neccessary repairs but let's not forget the Clyde has claimed the lives of too many working men already.

[Socceroo]

I know we're only poking a bit of fun at the bridge and the neccessary repairs but let's not forget the Clyde has claimed the lives of too many working men already.

I don't get this one Ony. The bridge is broken big style, causing a lot of hassle etc for some. But nobody has died in the process...or did i miss something. So what's with "all the lest we forget stuff". The bridge is totally unrelated to any of the other tragic events on the Clyde. Events which i am sure everyone on these forums find tragic.

Poking fun at the bridge? I was speaking to Structural Engineer on Monday who is of the opinion that if more than one of the suspension ropes went on the bridge (as it nearly did) they would have all went one by one due to the sheer weight of the bridge deck. He said that if the ropes all went it was still unlikely that the bridge deck would hit the water but it would straighten out pushing towards the banks and lose it's camber.

That would have been little consolation to someone sitting in a vehicle or crossing the bridge on foot if all the 3 tonne ropes started falling.

Thankfully the initial suspension rope connection never failed when there was heavy traffic on the bridge or we could have been looking at a tragedy.

[onyirtodd]

^

This

yip makes you fell real confident

Though the bridge was designed to allow for the removal of one of these supports, the impact of the failure of the second is still unclear

if the bridge was designed for removal of one of cables, why are they crapping themselves the impact of 2nd one ......... conclusion ....a big twang of squinys knicker elastic and it will come down with a spash ::):

is what I was getting at.

[Targer]

Note AzimScot the term ASAP should not be used as the actual translation for it means "whenever I get around to it". Years of experience has taught me so.