Iron bollards on A3024 Northam Bridge

[GeekyJames]

I thought the installation of these Iron bollards on the A3024 Northam Bridge in Southampton might be of interest to some fellow SABRE members:

Quote from Southampton City Council

We are installing iron bollards on Northam River Bridge along the edges of each footway to help prevent vehicles mounting the kerb and resting on the footways. The work is being carried out by maintenance contractor Mildren Construction Ltd.

Intervention was needed to prevent damage to the structure beneath the footways, which remains vulnerable to heavy loads or vehicles parking-up there. The design of the bollards is in keeping with the age of the bridge and the appearance of the adjoining parapet and lamp columns.

We are committed to maintaining a safe stock of all council bridges and structures across the city and investing in all our structures. The new white bollards will provide an easily identifiable barrier for users of the carriageway and offer additional reassurance and protection for footway users. The work is due to be completed during July.

This structural protection work is separate to the council’s investment in major transport improvements along key route corridors, of which Northam Bridge is a part.

https://www.facebook.com/SotonCC/photos ... =3&theater

Many on Facebook believe these are actually designed to stop a terrorist attack on the bridge in which case they are quite attract compared to the concrete blocks used in the city centre...

[Fenlander]

At least they’re easily seen, the ones we’ve got on High Bridge in Spalding are black and pretty much invisible, to both larger vehicles & pedestrians. https://goo.gl/maps/62v1jo8Y8zm

[sotonsteve]

And if a vehicle clips the kerb the protrusion of the base plates will shred tyres

[yen_powell]

They seem to be a variation on the Cast Iron Services kerb protection bollard, first used in Roman Road E2 for me back in the early 90s and still there it seems. https://goo.gl/maps/cfWFCyktmSA2

[WHBM]

This is what must be the oldest Iron Bollard location in the country, pre-dating motor vehicles, on The Mound in Edinburgh

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9502107 ... 312!8i6656

They were installed on the steeply descending sharp curve in about 1890, when the cable-drawn trams were introduced in Edinburgh, to guard against a derailed tram going over the edge, as there is a substantial drop beyond the railings down the grass slope of the gardens. They were long known as "pawl posts". They have prevented a range of vehicle types since from doing the drop over the edge. I recall the ones which were there when I was at university as being different, so I guess they have been replaced.

[B1040]

These ones here
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.7846766 ... 312!8i6656
look quite old, and possibly not easy to see in the dark.

[yen_powell]

These ones here
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.7846766 ... 312!8i6656
look quite old, and possibly not easy to see in the dark.

They are Furnitube Bell bollards, been about since the 1980s. Mr Hacker Harris's design I believe.

[B1040]

These ones here
https://www.google.com/maps/@52.7846766 ... 312!8i6656
look quite old, and possibly not easy to see in the dark.

They are Furnitube Bell bollards, been about since the 1980s. Mr Hacker Harris's design I believe.

They looked older than that as I made sure I didn't hit them!

[Alderpoint]

Some have been installed recently on the bridge over the River Avon in Stoneleigh. Council fed up with repairing the bridge after lorries keep misjudging the bend - as can be seen on the newest GSV image.

I've also seen them on the Marlow Bridge over the Thames, but they didn't stop a 40T lorry trying to cross the bridge in 2016.

[KeithW]

At least they’re easily seen, the ones we’ve got on High Bridge in Spalding are black and pretty much invisible, to both larger vehicles & pedestrians. https://goo.gl/maps/62v1jo8Y8zm

Looks like a good source of business for accident and injury lawyers who will have a field day with pedestrians who fall over them. A black painted bollard in the the middle of the foot path - what could possibly go wrong !

[KeithW]

This is what must be the oldest Iron Bollard location in the country, pre-dating motor vehicles, on The Mound in Edinburgh

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.9502107 ... 312!8i6656

They were installed on the steeply descending sharp curve in about 1890, when the cable-drawn trams were introduced in Edinburgh, to guard against a derailed tram going over the edge, as there is a substantial drop beyond the railings down the grass slope of the gardens. They were long known as "pawl posts". They have prevented a range of vehicle types since from doing the drop over the edge. I recall the ones which were there when I was at university as being different, so I guess they have been replaced.

I think these at the entrance to Chatham Dockyard can give them a run for their money. They are old muzzle loading ships cannon buried near the gateway to protect the gateway from carts bring in supplies.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3916734 ... 312!8i6656

A huge amount of captured French guns were sold off as scrap after the Napoleonic wars, many ended up as bollards. One auction alone advertised

"SALE OF UNSERVICEABLE IRON ORDNANCE AND SHOT, IN THE ISLAND OF JERSEY.
Office of Ordnance, August 5, 1836
The Principal Officers of His Majesty's Ordnance do hereby give notice, that they are ready to receive tenders for the purchase of the under-mentioned. Unserviceable Iron Ordnance and Iron Shot at Jersey, viz.

71 pieces, all "foreign guns" in 10 lots, totaling about 114 tons, plus several tons of cannon-balls. The pieces ranged from two 24 pdr guns down to two 6 pdrs, the majority being 12 pdrs. The buyers would collect their guns at St. Helier's Pier, and the round shot at Elizabeth Castle, on Jersey. The order was signed by the then Secretary to the Board of Ordnance, R. Byham.

Such sales often included the statement that "One of the trunnions will be knocked off from the iron guns, previous to delivery to the purchaser" presumably so the French couldn't get their guns back at scrap prices.

There is a Flickr page dedicated to London bollards some of which were captured cannon
https://www.flickr.com/photos/maggiejon ... 796860186/

[Johnathan404]

I saw these for myself last night. They are just small, brightly-coloured posts which look like they are designed to keep vehicles on the footway. Amazing to see all the tin-foil hat responses.

[Little Owl]

I saw these for myself last night. They are just small, brightly-coloured posts which look like they are designed to keep vehicles on the footway. Amazing to see all the tin-foil hat responses.

It is depressing to see how people make politics out of a non-political road project to protect the bridge from further weight-related damage.

No wonder why I am not on any social media.

[Berk]

But it is very hard to understand why would vehicles mount the kerb on a bridge of moving traffic?? Or even park there??

In other words, the burden of proof hasn’t been met.

If you can’t build a convincing case for change, can you be surprised when people feel so sceptical about it??