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1999 Historic bridge awards’ winners
Date Published: 25/11/1999
Winners are Town Bridge in Northwich and The Iron Bridge, Stratfield Saye
The winners of the 1999 Historic Bridge Awards have been announced at a special ceremony held at the Institution of Civil Engineers in London.
The largest project to gain an award was the refurbishment of Northwich’s Town Bridge in Cheshire, which was built in 1899 as Britain’s first electrically driven swing bridge. Client British Waterways appointed Parkman Consultants to design a scheme to raise the bridge’s load carrying capacity to 40 tonne vehicles. Kvaerner carried out the strengthening scheme, the most difficult aspect of which was the repair of the pontoon tanks. This was done by separating and lifting out the deck pontoons. The project was partly funded by Cheshire County Council.
The other award winner was the Iron Bridge Restoration Project at Stratfield Saye, near Reading. This neo-classical cast iron bridge over the River Loddon was designed by Thomas Wilson for Lord Rivers and completed in 1802. The work involved dismantling the cast iron arch frames carrying the timber deck, repairing and replacing the damaged sections and rebuilding the bridge. Consultant Andrew C Smith and main contractors Makers Industrial were appointed by the Trustees of the Wellington Estate. Dorothea Restorations carried out the specialist repairs on the cast iron work.
The project was partly funded by Hampshire County Council.
Five other projects received commendations from the judges: the reconstruction of Underbridge no 194 over the Manchester Ship Canal at Irlam; the refurbishment of the River Lune Bridge carrying the Thirlmere Aqueduct near Lancaster; the refurbishment of Chainbridge near Usk in Monmouthshire and of Horkstow Bridge in Lincolnshire and the repair of Radcot Bridge over the River Thames in Oxfordshire.
The awards, which are sponsored by English Heritage, Railtrack, British Waterways and the County Surveyors’ Society, are widely recognised by conservationists for their successful encouragement of high quality and innovative schemes. The judging panel was headed by Professor Roland Paxton, chairman of the ICE’s Panel for Historical Engineering Works, and the awards were presented by the ICE’s President, George Fleming. The two award winning projects were praised for the outstanding skill and care which had been put into their design and execution.
Stratfield Saye Iron Bridge Is Winner At 1999 Historic Bridge Awards
Picture shows (left to right): Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) President Professor George Fleming, Tony Winterton of Makers International, Lady Douro, chair of the Trustees of the Wellington Estate, Alan Wilkinson of Dorothea Restorations, project consultant Andrew Smith and Professor Roland Paxton, Chairman of the ICE Panel for Historical Engineering Works, who was one of the judges.
Northwich Town Bridge Is Winner At 1999 Historic Bridge Awards
Picture shows (left to right): Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) President Professor George Fleming with Trevor Jenkins of Parkman, T D Allinson of Kvaerner Construction, Martin Clarke of British Waterways and Professor Roland Paxton, Chairman of the ICE Panel for Historical Engineering Works, who was one of the judges.
Contact:
Wendie Teppett
The Institution of Civil Engineers
Tel: 020 7665 2150
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