Woodcote Grove Road Bridge Replacement
| Project name: | Woodcote Grove Road Bridge Replacement |
| Client: | Network Rail Infrastructure Limited |
| Business(s): | Rail |
| Sector(s): | Transport - Rail |
| Location: | Surrey |
| Type of contract: | Traditional |
| Contract value: | £1.1m |
| Duration: | September 2007 - November 2008 |
| Contact email: | rail@osborne.co.uk |
Time lapse video - 6:13
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Woodcote Grove road bridge in Coulsdon is a 120 year old road-over-rail structure which has been deemed too weak to carry 44 tonne lorry loading. Croydon Council, Transport for London and Network Rail have joined forces and are jointly funding the reconstruction of the bridge.
The works for this £1.1 million, 42 week project include the widening of the bridge, the demolition and reconstruction of the existing bridge and the re-alignment of the highway and foot ways over the new bridge.
The project is technically challenging – the widening requiring the construction of new abutments, normal train services to be maintained as well as keeping the road open to traffic and pedestrians. The abutment extensions involved installing mini piles on 70-degree railway embankments, with the piling being undertaken from scaffold platforms with the trains running. The next challenge was the construction of the abutments, using permanent vertical form-work due to the proximity of the abutments to the track.
The works have been made that bit harder still by the presence of two 33kV and two 11kV electric cables crossing the bridge in addition to a 350mm and 125mm diameter water mains. These services are the main supplies to Coulsdon. To enable the existing bridge to be demolished a scaffold service bridge, spanning 14m across the tracks at a 30-degree skew, has been erected to temporarily carry these services.
The majority of the works have been undertaken during the day, with trains operating a normal service. This has been possible by careful planning of the works and installation of temporary works to protect the trains.
The project is almost 75% complete, with piling finished, the abutment extensions constructed with cill and bridge beams installed. The first set of bridge beams were installed during a 52 hour possession at the end of March 2008. This allowed the west section of the bridge to be constructed. Works included a 1.5m high containment sandwich [P6] parapet wall, consisting of flint stone panels, built into reinforced brickwork, and placement of a temporary running surface, to allow traffic to be diverted onto the widened bridge area. This allowed construction of the new bridge on the east side to continue.
Another major milestone was successfully completed recently. During a 52 hour possession at the end of July the existing bridge was demolished and replaced with a further set of PC concrete bridge beams and cill units. A scaffold footbridge was built across the bridge beams, to provide temporary pedestrian access. This has allowed works to the east side of the bridge to be progressed.
The Contract is scheduled to be completed by the beginning of December 2008.