M20 footbridge.
Discussion
Nickyboy said:
Chris944 said:
The truck carrying the digger had just passed under a gantry okay. The truck was on the hard shoulder. Why was the footbridge lower than the gantry at that point? It seems to me that the bridge construction/design is at fault. Also, is there a possibility that the footbridge collapsed rather than being hit by the digger?
The bridge section that is over the shoulder still has to be over 5.1m unless it is marked, The bridge is the same height all the way across, the pic and level of the actual footway makes it looks like it is lower. 
Reminds me of an email regarding a bridge over a hard shoulder that may cause an issue with proposed H/S running as the clearance height didn't seem to be adequate.I have seen some very ropey pictures of dodgy bridges and other structures this year, interesting pic of water pishing out of the top of a steel box bridge structure, I wonder how much the excess weight is in water in a 100 ft wide 10ft high bridge steel box bridge, I wonder if the weight of the water due to poor maintainence/asset management was included in the structural calcs
that is one of many bridges that may possibly have to come down. Eta, went to 2 similarish type jobs in the past, one where the hydraulic rams had come up whist vehicle was travelling it seems on a low loader and hit a steel vms gantry and took the bottom half of the gantry panels out and signals clean out and another where the artic driver had 'closed' his eyes and gone up the inside of the nearside àrmco and hit the supporting leg of a similar type pedestrian bridge at speed and displaced it by a good 6inch, motorway was shut both sides until inspected and measures were put in place, the bridge was demolished soon after and the footpath diverted, this may happen again in this case ?
Edited by anonymous-user on Sunday 28th August 15:52
The boom of the plant on the back of the HGV hit the bridge knocking it off the support (This is confirmed by witnesses) Don't forget this is a pedestrian bridge, so is a lot lighter than a road bridge would be. There is also a belief that the HGV had just loaded the plant up from out of the roadworks section just in front of that bridge (This is not confirmed)
pim said:
Something must have hit the bridge for it to collapsed.
So the likely candidate is one of the trucks or is this rubbish?
It is now...So the likely candidate is one of the trucks or is this rubbish?
Have you just woken up, or what?
Question is...why was the bridge designed to be lower over the hard shoulder than the carriageway?
This was bound to happen some time.
Nickyboy said:
mybrainhurts said:
Question is...why was the bridge designed to be lower over the hard shoulder than the carriageway?
Where does it say it was designed to be lower? Or am I missing something?
mybrainhurts said:
On the motorway, the truck must have safely passed under numerous bridges, but it hit the footbridge whist moving along the hard shoulder, so the footbridge must be lower over the hard shoulder than the carriageway.
Or am I missing something?
Maybe it had just set off?Or am I missing something?
CaptainMorgan said:
Vaud said:
Maybe it had just set off?
From a quick look at street view, unless I'm looking at the wrong side of the road it must have passed under numerous other bridges, including another that seems to slope down over the hard shoulder. That or it was airlifted in 
Gafferjim said:
The boom of the plant on the back of the HGV hit the bridge knocking it off the support (This is confirmed by witnesses) Don't forget this is a pedestrian bridge, so is a lot lighter than a road bridge would be. There is also a belief that the HGV had just loaded the plant up from out of the roadworks section just in front of that bridge (This is not confirmed)
hidetheelephants said:
CaptainMorgan said:
Vaud said:
Maybe it had just set off?
From a quick look at street view, unless I'm looking at the wrong side of the road it must have passed under numerous other bridges, including another that seems to slope down over the hard shoulder. That or it was airlifted in Gafferjim said:
The boom of the plant on the back of the HGV hit the bridge knocking it off the support (This is confirmed by witnesses) Don't forget this is a pedestrian bridge, so is a lot lighter than a road bridge would be. There is also a belief that the HGV had just loaded the plant up from out of the roadworks section just in front of that bridge (This is not confirmed)
My mate just spotted on street view, the opposite side has hatch markings on the hard shoulder for the bridge but none on the side hit, even though the side WITH the marking looks like it's a little higher! I wonder if the wrong side was painted?
Edited by CaptainMorgan on Monday 29th August 12:25
CaptainMorgan said:
Monkeylegend said:
mybrainhurts said:
Or am I missing something?
Turns out he wasn't.My mate just spotted on street view, the opposite side has hatch markings on the hard shoulder for the bridge but none on the side hit, even though the side WITH the marking looks like it's a little higher! I wonder if the wrong side was painted?
Monkeylegend said:
CaptainMorgan said:
Monkeylegend said:
mybrainhurts said:
Or am I missing something?
Turns out he wasn't.My mate just spotted on street view, the opposite side has hatch markings on the hard shoulder for the bridge but none on the side hit, even though the side WITH the marking looks like it's a little higher! I wonder if the wrong side was painted?
...where's a Norwegian Blue when you need one?SVTRick said:
bet this bridge gets fixed before all the potholes which have been festering for months
You might have posted in jest, but you're absolutely bang on.My lane has had awful potholes all over the place for going on 3 years - barely a thing has been done. Earlier this year, a car skidded on ice (no gritter despite the forecast) and knocked over a post and handrail (about 20') belonging to the council. Less than 2 months later it's all been replaced - the potholes sadly are still there...
northwest monkey said:
SVTRick said:
bet this bridge gets fixed before all the potholes which have been festering for months
You might have posted in jest, but you're absolutely bang on.My lane has had awful potholes all over the place for going on 3 years - barely a thing has been done. Earlier this year, a car skidded on ice (no gritter despite the forecast) and knocked over a post and handrail (about 20') belonging to the council. Less than 2 months later it's all been replaced - the potholes sadly are still there...
Yup It's across the press http://www.kentnews.co.uk/news/m20_closed_between_...
So if anyone moans about being stuck if they don't try and make alternative arrangements or postpone non essential stuff tough??
So if anyone moans about being stuck if they don't try and make alternative arrangements or postpone non essential stuff tough??
This closure couldn't have come at a worse time.
There are major events happening at Paddock Wood and Detling next weekend.
This map graphically illustrates how bad it's going to be.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/malling/news/breaking-...
The M25 between J5 and J2* is going to be rammed, as will the A2.
The entire Maidstone/Medway corridor will be a 'mare.
The A20 and A25 are likely to suffer as well.
* Especially here as M25->A2 traffic has no way of avoiding the traffic lights.
A2->M25 at least has a free flow slip road but it's only a single lane.
There are major events happening at Paddock Wood and Detling next weekend.
This map graphically illustrates how bad it's going to be.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/malling/news/breaking-...
The M25 between J5 and J2* is going to be rammed, as will the A2.
The entire Maidstone/Medway corridor will be a 'mare.
The A20 and A25 are likely to suffer as well.
* Especially here as M25->A2 traffic has no way of avoiding the traffic lights.
A2->M25 at least has a free flow slip road but it's only a single lane.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff