Bawbee Bridge Replacement, Leven, Fife

[rileyrob]

Does anyone know exactly what is happening with the Bawbee Bridge on the A955 at Leven? From the various information I've found online, it is not clear if the whole bridge is being replaced, or just the span over the railway. I can't quite see how the railway bridge can be lifted to accommodate power lines without affecting the river bridge? I'm also not clear whether the existing 18T limit is for the river, railway or both parts of the bridge?

The council are currently installing a temporary bridge downstream connected to the B932 to maintain traffic and avoid a 5 mile detour. This also takes traffic around the new station site, and connects back into the existing roundabout on the east side of the river. The works are expected to take 9 - 12 months, starting on 31/10/22

[wrinkly]

Here's a Network Rail press release about it (with plan) from May:

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... ad-closure

Network Rail has submitted a planning application to Fife Council for the diversion route and river crossing required during the work on the Leven (Bawbee) bridge.

With work now underway on the Rail Link development to the west of the route, attention is turning to the Leven site and the need to undertake work on the A955 road bridge which sits above what will be the future Leven station.

Network Rail will replace the abutments and bridge deck of the 75-year-old road bridge which is suffering from significant deterioration and showing signs of chlorine contamination and corrosion and is subject to weight restrictions.

Because of the interface between the structure and the rail project, it has been agreed that the bridge renewal can be most efficiently taken forward by Network Rail as part of the wider programme delivery.

The nature and extent of the work means that the A955 will be closed for a year to enable the removal and reconstruction of the bridge. With circa 18,000 vehicles each day affected by this closure, to minimise disruption for road users, a diversion route including temporary bridge will be created and this is the subject of the planning application.

Lisa Cameron, Lead Town Planner for the Levenmouth Project said: “The road bridge over the disused railway has been under weight restriction for many years due to the poor condition of the bridge deck and abutments.

“The work we will carry out on behalf of the Council will see the abutments and deck replaced and the bridge parapet height increased making the bridge both stronger and safer. This work cannot be done though without closing the road for an extended period.

“Our proposals will see a diversionary route built and a temporary bridge put in place to reduce inconvenience to the road network during the closure. We believe this is the best solution to deliver the work efficiently and minimise disruption for the local residents.”
Notes to Editors

Key dates proposed for the work to replace the Leven (Bawbee) bridge are currently anticipated to be as follows: (Subject to Planning Approval)

Start of temporary road construction- June 2022
Temporary road in use from – August 2022
Leven Bridge renewal works - September 2022
Removal of temporary road - August 2023

Temporary planning permission is therefore sought from 15th May 2022 until the 30th September 2023.

The proposed diversion route would take traffic from the A955/B933 roundabout, past the swimming pool car park and across the River Leven by way of a temporary bridge. Traffic would then join the existing road network at South Street (B932).

Upon completion of the works to Leven Bridge this temporary diversion route would be removed and traffic would revert to the normal route over the completed bridge.

The work appears to be driven by the condition of the bridge rather than any need to raise its height for electrification clearance. After reading the press release several times and studying the photograph, I'm still not clear whether the river span is included in the rebuilding.

If you're interested in the Levenmouth rail restoration project as a whole, there's this thread about it on the Rail UK forums.

[andrum99]

Only the span over the railway is being replaced, and it is a complete replacement - abutments and deck. The new deck is thinner and has been designed to accommodate Network Rail's requirements, including W12 loading gauge, as well as the required clearances for electrification via Overhead Line Equipment, and higher parapets. The adjacent span over the river is unaffected.

Even with the slimmer bridge deck, there is a need to lower the track level slightly under the new bridge to achieve the new clearances for enhanced loading gauge + OLE, since the adjacent span over the river prevents the road level over the railway from being raised. The line was previously only cleared to a W6a loading gauge.

[wrinkly]

Welcome to the forum, andrum.

This 10-minute video, recently posted on the Rail UK forums by Tormod, and apparently first published on a Facebook group, shows the line from one end to the other in December.

https://network-rail.wistia.com/medias/m18gtseev5

The bridge in question is visible right at the end (from 9:35). A temporary bridge is under construction alongside, presumably to carry pedestrians and/or mains services during the works. In line with andrum's remarks, it appears it will only bypass the rail span. The temporary vehicular bridge is further from the camera and seems to be glimpsable in the final seconds.

[andrum99]

Fife Council planning case ref 22/00840/CLP (at https://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/app ... CAPHFL5100) gives some details on the Bawbee Bridge replacement works, including original design drawings from when the bridge was built in the 1950s, and Network Rail's engineering drawings showing W12 loading gauge, new Leven Station island platform, and OLE under the bridge.

[andrum99]

Welcome to the forum, andrum.

This 10-minute video, recently posted on the Rail UK forums by Tormod, and apparently first published on a Facebook group, shows the line from one end to the other in December.

https://network-rail.wistia.com/medias/m18gtseev5

The bridge in question is visible right at the end (from 9:35). A temporary bridge is under construction alongside, presumably to carry pedestrians and/or mains services during the works. In line with andrum's remarks, it appears it will only bypass the rail span. The temporary vehicular bridge is further from the camera and seems to be glimpsable in the final seconds.

The temporary bridge visible next to the span over the railway is indeed for pedestrians - not sure if there are some services being diverted over it as well, as I've not visited the site for a while. The other bridge visible at the end of the video is NOT the new diversion bridge - that is the old bridge that carried the railway over the mouth of the River Leven to Methil where it serviced Methil power station, and also the docks, although the connection to the docks was long gone when the line to the power station closed in the early 2000s. Network Rail seem to call it the Inner Leven Viaduct - see Fife Council planning ref 22/01401/FULL (at https://planning.fife.gov.uk/online/cas ... P59HFM2P00).

[wrinkly]

Network Rail press release

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... disruption

Work is underway to install a temporary bridge structure and build a road to enable the demolition and reconstruction of the A955 Leven Rail (Bawbee) bridge.

Construction of the new temporary crossing will support 18,000 vehicle movements per day during major work by Network Rail to demolish the old Bawbee bridge as part of the Levenmouth Rail Link project.

The A955 road bridge sits above the site of the new Leven station and, given its location, the reconstruction is being delivered as part of the wider Scottish-Government funded programme of railway works.

Work is now underway following planning approval from Fife Council for the diversion route during the eight-month road closure.

Up until now, traffic management has been in place to allow utility companies to move services off the structure to enable safe demolition without disruption to water, gas, electricity and telecoms.

Network Rail will replace the abutments and bridge deck of the weight-restricted 75-year-old road bridge which is suffering from significant deterioration and showing signs of chlorine contamination and corrosion.

As well as the temporary bridge and road, a new roundabout will be installed on South Street to support traffic movements during the project. The temporary bridge is due to open to traffic in early May.

Sean Clemie, Network Rail project manager for bridge works, said: “It’s great to get on site and start work on this part of the project.

“Chlorine contamination and corrosion means the bridge needs to be replaced sooner rather than later and it’s much easier and more cost effective to do this ahead of the new rail link opening.

“The installation of a temporary bridge will make a huge difference in minimising disruption in the area from the road closure.”

Councillor Colin Davidson, convener of Fife Council's Levenmouth Area Committee, said: “We are delighted to be working with the railway project to deliver the replacement Leven Rail Bridge, known locally as the Bawbee bridge.

“Given the location of the new Leven station, it makes sense to utilise the skills and expertise of the railway contractors to deliver this work efficiently both in terms of the road network and the rail link project.

“We appreciate the patience shown by the local community as contractors carried out preparatory work on the structure but, with the road set to close for an extended period, the installation of the temporary bridge will minimise the impact of the work on the community and support local businesses – particularly over the summer months.”

The diversion route will take traffic from the A955/B933 roundabout, through the swimming pool car park and across the River Leven via the temporary bridge. Traffic will then join the existing road network at the new roundabout on South Street (B932).

Upon completion of the works to Leven Bridge, anticipated to be in February 2024, the temporary diversion route will be removed and traffic will revert to the normal route over the new bridge.

Notes to Editors

Key dates proposed for the work to replace the Leven (Bawbee) bridge are currently anticipated to be as follows:

Start of temporary road construction- March 2023
Temporary road in use from – early May 2023
Leven Bridge renewal works – May – December 2023
Road reopened under Traffic management - December 2023
Removal of temporary road bridge - January 2023
Road fully reopened – February 2024

[wrinkly]

Video of the bridge and Leven station area seen from the seaward side, showing temporary bridge not quite yet open, platforms under construction, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PogAN01laqE

[wrinkly]

Press release: road diversion including temporary bridge to open this afternoon (Friday).

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... c-in-leven

[gchree]

And now open

[wrinkly]

And another press release

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... oming-down

Preparatory work ahead of the demolition of the rail section of the River Leven (Bawbee) bridge is now underway.

Network Rail is replacing the abutments and deck of the road bridge which is suffering from significant deterioration and showing signs of chlorine contamination and corrosion. The work is to remove a long-standing weight restriction from the structure.

The work on the bridge, which sits above the site of the new Leven station, is funded by Fife Council and is being delivered on their behalf by Network Rail as part of the Levenmouth Rail Link programme.

With the road now closed to both road traffic and pedestrians, the area has been fenced-off to protect the community from coming into contact with machinery carrying out the work.

Street-furniture – road signs, lamp posts etc – is being removed before the existing road surface will be lifted and the bridge parapets (side walls) removed.

It is anticipated that the actual demolition of the structure itself will be from Friday May 19 with the work complete by the end of the month. The start of work on the replacement structure will immediately follow.

The temporary footbridge adjacent to the Bawbee bridge will also be closed during this time. Access across the river will be via the footbridge across the temporary road bridge which was recently opened.

Sean Clemie, project manager for bridge works, said: “With the temporary road bridge in place to maintain access across the river, we can now focus on the main task – demolition and reconstruction of the Bawbee bridge.

“Obviously, with the main element of the work underway, we have fenced off the bridge and the adjacent temporary structure will also be out of use during the demolition for safety reasons.

“We will prepare the structure for demolition at the weekend and after the debris has been cleared, we will immediately start work on the construction of the new bridge. From then we will enable reinstatement of the utilities - essentially putting everything that is needed back on the bridge.”

[wrinkly]

The rail span of the bridge was demolished in a couple of days and the debris has now been removed. Here is a recent picture of the location:

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=22 ... 9696609953

The incomplete island platform of the future station is visible on the left and right of the picture.

The picture is from a Facebook site devoted to the rail reopening project:

https://www.facebook.com/Levenmouthbuildingarailway

Facebook membership is not required to view it. It has hundreds of pictures going back to July last year. Thanks to the creator of the site and to user fgwrich on the Rail UK Forums who posted about it.

[wrinkly]

The Facebook page linked above is now showing that the concrete has been poured for the first abutment of the replacement span, and a lot of the rebar is in place for the other abutment.

[wrinkly]

The Facebook page linked above is now showing that concrete beams for the replacement span have been delivered, and two cranes have arrived, the smaller one to assemble the larger one which will place the beams.

Also, tracklaying on the railway is close to the terminal station.

[wrinkly]

Picture with first four beams in place, and face walls of island platform below.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=252 ... 6890916899

[wrinkly]

The concrete pour for the deck took place on Thursday 10 Aug. Pictures on the Facebook page linked above. This one gives a good overview of the site before the pour.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 267&type=3

[wallmeerkat]

Temporary bridge is on Streetview

https://www.google.com/maps/@56.1919625 ... ?entry=ttu

Reminds me a bit of the old Grosvenor Road temporary bridge http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/a12 ... chive.html

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/ima ... bridge.jpg

http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/roads/ima ... bridge.jpg

[wrinkly]

Tracklaying on the railway was completed today. Press releases on both Transport Scotland and Network Rail websites:

https://www.transport.gov.scot/news/tra ... rail-link/

https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.u ... k-at-leven

[wrinkly]

The adjacent temporary footbridge is now closed, probably permanently, and diversion of mains services back onto the rebuilt bridge is starting.

[wrinkly]

Kerbstones laid on the approach to the bridge. Must be getting near to reopening.

https://www.facebook.com/Levenmouthbuildingarailway