Victoria Footbridge Heritage Open Day - Castle Green Training Centre


If you have been affected by the work, are a local resident, a visitor or interested in engineering, history, ecology or environmental management, then come and find out more about Victoria Footbridge on Saturday 9 September. Celebrate the refurbishment of one of the city’s most popular landmarks. There will be the following:
Commentary Corner – Your chance to comment on the repairs.
Exhibition of historical documents, photographs, postcards and articles.
The environmental importance of the River Wye explained.
Details of the refurbishment works and how the constraints affected the work.
Members of the repair team will be on hand to describe the work, give you the first glimpse of the repairs, and answer your questions.
There will be a progress slide show, family activities and refreshments will be available.
Location
The free Heritage Open Day Event will be held at Castle Green Training Centre, Castle Green, adjacent to the bridge, Saturday 9 September, 10am-4pm.
Heritage Open Day is a national event organised through The Civic Trust. Other events are being held at Hereford Cathedral, the Regimental Museum at the TA Centre, and in Ledbury and Ross on Wye.
Further Information
If you wish to make any comments on the Heritage Open Day, repair works, or require any further information, please contact Martin Jackson, Herefordshire Council, Highways and Transportation, PO Box 234, Hereford, HR1 2ZD, Tel: (01432) 261723, or visit the Council website www.herefordshire.gov.uk.
Click here for more background information on the Footbridge restoration.

History of the Bridge

The Victoria Footbridge was built in 1898 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria the previous year. It replaced a ferry, which had operated across the Wye from July 1893.
The bridge was formally opened on 29 September 1898, by Lady Emily Foley, and was then handed over by the Bridge Committee to the citizens of Hereford. The programme of events at the opening ceremony was affected by heavy rain and many were cancelled or postponed. However, some went ahead, including the water polo match, the dinghy race and the egg and spoon race.

Why are the works necessary?

In August 2002 a hole appeared in the bridge deck requiring a temporary closure whilst repairs were made. A detailed inspection and structural assessment was then carried out to determine the condition and strength of the bridge. This found significant corrosion of some structural parts together with general wear and tear. The problems needed to be corrected as soon as practical to ensure the safety of the public but were too extensive to be done as part of routine maintenance.

The Repair and Improvement Works

The works include the following:
Bridge steelwork grit blasted to remove 13 coats of paint and rust.
Repairs to the steel and some parts of the bridge strengthened.
Steelwork painted cream to match its original colour.
Footway replaced with a wooden deck, again to match the original.
Handrails and decorative features repaired and the bridge lighting improved.

The Method of Repair

In order to carry out the repair works safely and gain access to all parts of the bridge, a working platform was required. This was installed using a temporary floating pontoon. The working platform and pontoon avoided the use of large cranes in this archaeologically and ecologically sensitive area. Scaffolding erected around the bridge allowed it to be cocooned in sheeting and for the repairs to proceed whilst the local environment was protected.

Timing of the Works

Complexity of the repair work prevented a solution to the bridge deterioration being finished before 2006. However, concerns over its condition stopped postponement to a later date. The potential for high river water levels restrict the work to the “summer period”.
Work therefore had to be finished in the summer of 2006 despite other local events taking place such as the Three Choirs Festival and High Town Improvement Works.

Environment and Heritage

The River Wye is designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and there are important archaeological sites nearby. The bridge is a Grade II Listed structure reflecting its architectural and historic importance, so the refurbishment works were subject to stringent statutory restrictions.
Herefordshire Council, in partnership with its Consultant Owen Williams and Contractor Interserve, has worked closely with the Environment Agency, Natural England and English Heritage to meet these important restrictions and to minimise the impact of the works.

Posted: Wed - August 2, 2006 at 11:15 pm          

©