Almost 6 years ago, a unique solution was found to ensure a popular & beautiful access route to Bembridge on the Isle of Wight could be maintained for locals & visitors.
An innovative track based technique was used by Island Roads to replace 2 key footbridges which formed part of the Causeway at St Helens just to the north of Bembridge Harbour.
The Causeway was constructed to help power the tidal mill at St Helens which was built around 1780 to grind corn.
The existing bridges had deteriorated over time & required replacement.
However due to the location the project presented several challenges as the Causeway was so narrow & not practical to use traditional heavy lifting equipment in order to replace the existing bridges.
Additionally the Isle of Wight Council & Island Roads were keen to limit any closures for walkers using the well liked route during any construction works.
So firstly the the old failing bridges were dismantled & removed using pontoons before new factory manufactured Lifespan FRP bridges of 5.4m span x 2m wide were then 'skated' along the narrow causeway & fixed into position using a system of steel tracks & rollers.
The new, lightweight Lifespan FRP bridges provided excellent resistance to the harsh marine environment, require almost no maintenance & have a design life of 120 years.
The project was developed by Island Roads working with MMC Diving & Lifespan Structures as well as the Isle of Wights PROW team & also required a special consent from marine Management Organisation (MMO).
With over 65 Lifespan Structures FRP bridges installed in the UK we firmly believe that we really are a very easy team to deal with & this project was yet another great example of the collaborative, flexible procurement services available from Lifespan Structures.
