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Runcorn Town Labour on Facebook have stated February 2021
Runcorn Town Labour
SILVER JUBILEE BRIDGE UPDATE
Halton Borough Council can confirm that the Silver Jubilee Bridge (SJB), a Grade II Listed Structure and the seventh largest steel arch bridge in the world, is due to reopen to traffic in February 2021 as the major refurbishment programme nears completion.
The majority of the work is now finished, but there is one remaining 12 week project to complete before the bridge can fully reopen to vehicles. Since December 2019 pedestrians and cyclists have been able to use the SJB as they cannot use the Mersey Gateway. This will continue to be the case.
The opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge in October 2017 provided the first ever opportunity to completely close the Silver Jubilee Bridge for maintenance during its 59 year life, because for the majority of its life it has been the only crossing of the Mersey for miles around.
Listed below is the work already carried out on the SJB during its closure.
• Refurbishment of the entire steel arch, including strengthening numerous bracing members that had extensive corrosion.
• The replacement of a cable hanger that had shown evidence of potential early stage failure. The first time this has ever been undertaken.
• The repainting of the entire arch, removing the old paint system, undertaking steel repairs and applying a new multi-coat system on to the bare steel.
• The entire concrete road deck has been repaired, re-waterproofed and resurfaced.
• Re-configuration of the deck into a single vehicle lane in either direction, together with dedicated cycle lane. This will allow the existing SJB footbridge to be solely for pedestrian use.
• Both bridge approach structures (Widnes and Runcorn) have been refurbished and re-configured with single lane traffic and new, widened cycleway/footway verges.
• Runcorn Approach Viaduct deck has been repaired, re-waterproofing and resurfaced and installed with new carriageway joints.
• Widnes Approach Viaduct has been resurfaced with new carriageway joints.
• The existing Runcorn Approach Viaduct West (connecting into the Trumpet Loop) has been demolished.
The Council has sought to open the SJB as soon as is possible, but any work undertaken on the bridge is complex due to its age, the uniqueness of the structure and the fact it is Grade II Listed. The final piece of work to do before the SJB can open to vehicles is to replace the safety system on the bridge’s edge, known as a parapet.
After demolition of Runcorn Approach Viaduct West (leading to Trumpet Loop), it was discovered that the remaining 75m section of existing parapet fixings were corroded beyond repair. The new system must be fully certified and comply with current design standards which are different to the existing system. Consequently locations where the new system will be installed need to be cut out of the structure and widened to allow the new fixings to have significant strength and adhere to these current standards.
As a critical health and safety matter, the SJB cannot be opened up to vehicles until it is completed. The work will take in the region of 12 weeks. This means that the SJB will not re-open to vehicles until February next year.
The Council would like to apologise for this delay, but given the health and safety issues, there is no alternative but to keep the closure to vehicles in place. To reiterate, the bridge will remain open to pedestrians and cyclists throughout this period.
Kkervinjones wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 18:07
The Silver Jubilee Bridge re-opened today at approx. 3pm.
It is now the A557 (formerly A533 which is now assigned to the Mersey Gateway Bridge), and reduced to a non-primary route.
And presumably a toll applies ? Other question is how do you get to it if the approaches have been knocked down ?
Yes the same toll applies and Halton Borough residents have a free permit. The demolished layout was free flowing but that was all removed and a single RA put in its place. As well as removing a very considerable amount of concrete it has really opened up the area, which is being redeveloped as the Station Quarter.
If anyone has any other photos of the approach roads in situ, or if there are any abandoned carriageways to be photographed, please feel free to provide them.
The Silver Jubilee Bridge, (commonly known as the Runcorn Bridge, originally the Runcorn-Widnes Bridge) is the largest steel arch bridge in the UK, being considerably larger than the better-known Tyne Bridge at Newcastle.
It was opened in 1961, replacing the earlier Transporter Bridge just to the east. It was originally WS2, but was widened to S4 in 1977, when it gained the name of the Silver Jubilee Bridge. At this time the junction arrangements at the Runcorn end
Kkervinjones wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 18:07
The Silver Jubilee Bridge re-opened today at approx. 3pm.
It is now the A557 (formerly A533 which is now assigned to the Mersey Gateway Bridge), and reduced to a non-primary route.
And presumably a toll applies ? Other question is how do you get to it if the approaches have been knocked down ?
Yes the same toll applies and Halton Borough residents have a free permit.
Not quite free, £10/year. I'll give it a drive once I've got round to renewing mine.
Was annoying it took so long to get done as the new bridge is inconvenient for the station. Thing is now its open with Covid, its unlikely I'll be picking the mother in law up from the station any time soon.
Barkstar wrote: ↑Tue Nov 10, 2020 01:21
Halton Council had predicted the Silver Jubilee Bridge would reopen at the end of October. But I had a brief chat with a couple of workmen shifting some traffic cones connected with road closures to remove the old approach road they said it will be February now. Seems they've just found an issue with corrosion in the parapets, given the scale of the job might we have expected a better survey in the first place?
They've opened a short section of link road over in Widnes. You can now turn west off the first RA (A557 Jct) off the new bridge. It's a great design. A two lane exit which almost immediately becomes a left or right turn depending on the lane you are in. All good except the lanes are separated by a narrow curb right from the exit off the RA. Never seen the likes, something will be over that curb very soon I'm sure.
An in depth survey of bridge isn't that easy if its still open. Something similar happened when they closed down the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge for repairs. They found a previous repair had been bodged and there result was cracking throughout the structure, its still unknown if it will ever reopen. Then there was the Huntingdon Viaduct, the original A14 upgrade scheme planned to reuse this but a survey revealed defects so serious emergency strengthening had to be done just to keep it operating safely while the new road was built
The reality is that with all major refurbishments you will find problems when you start dismantling what is there. A prudent planner will have a contingency plan for this. I have see this happen on power stations , oil refineries, chemical plants etc. There was one ethylene cracker plant on ICI Wilton which had a 100 ft high distillation column. When we removed the lagging the bottom dished end fell off. How that didnt happen in service I will never know as clearly the weld had cracked around the full circumference.
I went past here today and to be fair the new road layout has improved the area quite a bit and made it less confusing than the old spiral bit. I have a few photos of the southern roundabout but i've not sorted them out yet.
For the disused road lovers this slip road and barrier is still there https://www.google.com/maps/@53.3393202 ... 384!8i8192 along with a directional sign in the trees.
Some pics taken on Greenway road which comes off the new roundabout southwards towards Runcorn station. The Silver jubilee bridge slip is ahead at 11oclock. Note another one of those silly 'last exit before C' sign. Only taking the bridge exit will land you with a charge so not sure why the arrow points left only.
The middle picture above must surely show a botched sign? Otherwise it's suggesting the primary route to the left now randomly ends at that roundabout.
Also, shouldn't the arm pointing towards the bridge and Liverpool have the 'C' symbol incorporated in it? Would make things a lot clearer if it did.
Regarding the radii of the loops on the former trumpet junction it's fortunate this monstrosity wasn't built. Coming from the west to get to the bridge involves doing a complete lap of the junction and passing through two weaving sections. The reverse movement is just as bad
Attachments
How would you like your grade separations, Sir? Big and complex.
SouthWest Philip wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 21:56
The middle picture above must surely show a botched sign? Otherwise it's suggesting the primary route to the left now randomly ends at that roundabout.
Also, shouldn't the arm pointing towards the bridge and Liverpool have the 'C' symbol incorporated in it? Would make things a lot clearer if it did.
I agreed with your assessment of these signs. I'm not too sure of the history of these roads in terms of primary routes but the A557 has been primary heading left towards the M56 since i remember. It used to continue as primary onto the old bridge and also straight on (right in the picture) signed for Northwich. Since the old bridge now isn't primary then as you say it just ends at this roundabout. All of the old signage after this roundabout turning right in the pictures are still green also.
Truvelo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 22:00
Regarding the radii of the loops on the former trumpet junction it's fortunate this monstrosity wasn't built. Coming from the west to get to the bridge involves doing a complete lap of the junction and passing through two weaving sections. The reverse movement is just as bad
Truvelo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 22:00
Regarding the radii of the loops on the former trumpet junction it's fortunate this monstrosity wasn't built. Coming from the west to get to the bridge involves doing a complete lap of the junction and passing through two weaving sections. The reverse movement is just as bad
I was under the impression that a pair of bridges alongside the existing bridge was the preferred option and the GSJ shown here also has the mainline of the expressway from both directions favouring the bridge which would have worked wonders. Had this been built the Mersey Gateway Bridge would have been unnecessary.
How would you like your grade separations, Sir? Big and complex.
So, as I understand it, the Runcorn Expressway is no longer much of an expressway, as they have plonked a multi-exit roundabout on it to provide access to the old bridge and a few other places in Runcorn.
When the Covid restrictions end, this looks like a nice little afternoon exploration outing. Needless to say I'll make sure I pay the toll !! Of course satnavs will be way out-of-date for a bit.
fras wrote: ↑Sat Feb 27, 2021 23:27
So, as I understand it, the Runcorn Expressway is no longer much of an expressway, as they have plonked a multi-exit roundabout on it to provide access to the old bridge and a few other places in Runcorn.
When the Covid restrictions end, this looks like a nice little afternoon exploration outing. Needless to say I'll make sure I pay the toll !! Of course satnavs will be way out-of-date for a bit.
The expressway is still quiet, though the bridge was quite busy over the weekend with locals keen to give it a go on foot, cycle or car. Unless there is a huge surge in traffic I don't see the RA being a problem. The majority of cross river traffic will take the prescribed route to the new bridge. A few HGVs probably heading into Widnes or Speke are 'cutting the corner' off an using the old bridge. In mileage terms it save little or nothing but may make accessing their destination easier. Or maybe they also just felt like giving it a go as well. The whole thing could have been neater if there'd been room to create a more direct road through to the new bridge. Junction 11A plans have been scrapped and 12 is ugly.
Barkstar wrote: ↑Tue Mar 02, 2021 21:56
The expressway is still quiet, though the bridge was quite busy over the weekend with locals keen to give it a go on foot, cycle or car. Unless there is a huge surge in traffic I don't see the RA being a problem. The majority of cross river traffic will take the prescribed route to the new bridge. A few HGVs probably heading into Widnes or Speke are 'cutting the corner' off an using the old bridge. In mileage terms it save little or nothing but may make accessing their destination easier. Or maybe they also just felt like giving it a go as well. The whole thing could have been neater if there'd been room to create a more direct road through to the new bridge. Junction 11A plans have been scrapped and 12 is ugly.
I don't really understand why 11A was scrapped - the changes that have been made to the interchanges either side of the Weston Link must have cost a significant amount in comparison,as they've fundamentally re-built both interchanges.