The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) North East believes that the closure of Leven Bridge, near Yarm, should be seen as a warning to all of the fragility of much of our critical infrastructure in the face of increasingly extreme weather events.
Stephen Larkin, regional director of ICE North East, said: “Most of the time the critical infrastructure that we use to go about our daily lives is taken for granted. It is only when this critical infrastructure is taken away from us that we even begin to appreciate its value.
“Nothing demonstrates this better than the recent flooding in Cumbria which washed away a number of bridges in the County turning journeys that took just a few minutes into ones that now take hours.
“Were it not for the continual unseen inspection and maintenance work undertaken by civil engineers these problems could have been much worse.
“The North East is no different to any other part of the country in this respect as the detection of cracks in road surface on Leven Bridge near Yarm demonstrates. This resulted in an immediate inspection of the crossing which identified major damage. Scour, caused by the swiftly moving river water, had washed away the ground surrounding the bridge abutments and piers exposing them to the elements and undermined the foundations.
“While there is no immediate danger of the Bridge collapsing repair works are needed urgently to stabilise the structure and secure its future integrity. It is estimated that these works will take approximately 8 weeks, during which time the road will remain closed to all traffic except for access causing disruption to those who regularly use it.
“All bridges crossing rivers are susceptible to such damage. Northumberland County Council was recently forced to inspect the foundations of Alnwick Lion Bridge following severe flooding. Like Leven Bridge, this inspection revealed scour of the river bed and forced the closure of the bridge on the grounds of public safety. Three hundred cubic metres of concrete had to be poured into voids beneath the piers which had exposed a series of supporting timbers.
“Older bridges like Leven and Alnwick Lion Bridge are at even greater risk than more modern structures because of their age and the construction techniques used to build them. Such historical structures can be iconic and of great importance and must be preserved for the benefit of future generations. The Alnwick Lion Bridge was constructed in 1773 for the first Duke of Northumberland to replace an earlier bridge on the site which was washed away by floods in 1771. Not only does the bridge have architectural merit but it is also a scheduled ancient monument.”