How much does it cost to raise a railway bridge?

[Frank7]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

eldar said:

From 1st Oct 1997 a height notice is required in cab for any vehicle or load more than 3 meters high. The figures must be at least 40mm high.

The height of the tractor unit will be marked in the cab. The height of the trailer will be marked on its headboard.

It is the trailer that 9/10 hits the bridge, not the tractor unit.

I copied the info below from the “virtual transport manager” website, it appears to include the trailer height.

‘From 1st October 1997, if the overall travelling height of a motor vehicle or trailer exceeds three metres there must be a notice in the cab…’

It must:

be where it can be easily read by the driver and have numbers at least 40mm tall
indicate the overall travelling height (to a tolerance of plus 150mm)
be in feet/inches or in both feet/inches and metres (but not in metres only!). (If you’re going to do both the heights indicated must not differ by more than 50mm.
be clear i.e. no other letters or numbers capable of being confused with the height indicated may appear in the cab notice and there must be no other notice displayed in the cab that could be confusing.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

Frank7 said:

I copied the info below from the “virtual transport manager” website, it appears to include the trailer height.

Maybe so, but in the real world I would say it rarely happens.

What you've got to remember is that tractor units pick up and drop off all manner of shape and size of trailers. Unless they are on a dedicated contract where only one size of trailer is used then it is up to the driver to take note of what height of trailer he has got on.

[eldar]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Frank7 said:

I copied the info below from the “virtual transport manager” website, it appears to include the trailer height.

Maybe so, but in the real world I would say it rarely happens.

What you've got to remember is that tractor units pick up and drop off all manner of shape and size of trailers. Unless they are on a dedicated contract where only one size of trailer is used then it is up to the driver to take note of what height of trailer he has got on.

Thus the point that the A5 Hinckley bridge strikes are due to driver error rather than misleading signage is correct.

[Matt_E_Mulsion]

eldar said:

Thus the point that the A5 Hinckley bridge strikes are due to driver error rather than misleading signage is correct.

Yes, you are 100% correct. I don't live a million miles from Hinckley and can't understand why so many trucks hit it. If I was to take a guess I would say it's got something to do with the vast amount of warehousing around the area plus people probably use the A5 to avoid queues on the M6 that it kind of runs parallel with.

[MrBig]

RyanOPlasty said:

It would do if the signs were properly maintained. A recent FOI revealed a fault on the A5 bridge signs that had been known for over 18 months that had not been fixed.

I know that bridge well and I'm pretty sure its been a lot longer than 18 months. IIRC it worked for a few months after installation and that's it. I'm pretty sure they were installed at least 6 years ago.

[StephenP]

There are four bridges under the East Coast Mainline in Grantham and two of them top 20. The other two are also hit regularly, even though one has gained steel protector bars and on each side.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people can ignore the signs that make very clear the maximum clearance.

[eldar]

Matt_E_Mulsion said:

Yes, you are 100% correct. I don't live a million miles from Hinckley and can't understand why so many trucks hit it. If I was to take a guess I would say it's got something to do with the vast amount of warehousing around the area plus people probably use the A5 to avoid queues on the M6 that it kind of runs parallel with.

Certainly truth in that. The A5 south of Hinckley to DIRFT is becoming solid warehousing, just the new DPD place has 300 bays.

[P5BNij]

MrBig said:

RyanOPlasty said:

It would do if the signs were properly maintained. A recent FOI revealed a fault on the A5 bridge signs that had been known for over 18 months that had not been fixed.

I know that bridge well and I'm pretty sure its been a lot longer than 18 months. IIRC it worked for a few months after installation and that's it. I'm pretty sure they were installed at least 6 years ago.

I drive trains over the A5 bridge at Hinckley and have been held back at signals twice because of lorries hitting it, one occasion was quite recent. Pardon the pun, but the knock on effects of these bridge strikes are a pain in the backside for all concerned.

[Rick101]

People don't realise how much rail transport contributes to everyone.

Had a train last week conveying PPE that ran late.
You might not 'use' trains, but your dear Mother might have her operation cancelled.

[RyanOPlasty]

eldar said:

RyanOPlasty said:

It would do if the signs were properly maintained. A recent FOI revealed a fault on the A5 bridge signs that had been known for over 18 months that had not been fixed.

The only reference i can find for that is the height warning is 4.6 meters, and the actual clearance is 4.683 metres, a safety margin of 83mm.

Do you know of another?

Failing safe, surely.

Seems the drivers fail to spot the number on the big sticker on the dashboard is smaller than the number on the signs.

I wasn't referring to those signs. There are height activated warning signs with flashing lights telling overheight vehicles to turn round well before they reach the bridge. These have not been working properly.

[eldar]

RyanOPlasty said:

eldar said:

RyanOPlasty said:

It would do if the signs were properly maintained. A recent FOI revealed a fault on the A5 bridge signs that had been known for over 18 months that had not been fixed.

The only reference i can find for that is the height warning is 4.6 meters, and the actual clearance is 4.683 metres, a safety margin of 83mm.

Do you know of another?

Failing safe, surely.

Seems the drivers fail to spot the number on the big sticker on the dashboard is smaller than the number on the signs.

I wasn't referring to those signs. There are height activated warning signs with flashing lights telling overheight vehicles to turn round well before they reach the bridge. These have not been working properly.

Fair enough, not something I'd heard about.

[saaby93]

Assuming the Hinkley one is top of the list for replacement - how did this get priority?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestersh...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-5478...

[eldar]

saaby93 said:

Assuming the Hinkley one is top of the list for replacement - how did this get priority?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestersh...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-5478...

Buses, it would appear.

[bristolracer]

eldar said:

saaby93 said:

Assuming the Hinkley one is top of the list for replacement - how did this get priority?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestersh...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-5478...

Buses, it would appear.

It's been overdue for years, that bridge is unsuitable for anything more than two cars passing. Get a lorry or bus and people have to stop to give way.
Yes there will be a bus lane, but the carriageway desperately needed widening.
The development of 7000 houses, a new arena and industrial estates on the old runway a stones throw away from here, its connection to Bristol Parkway station probably make it one of the more sensible projects in the mess that is public transport in and around Bristol

[saaby93]

bristolracer said:

eldar said:

saaby93 said:

Assuming the Hinkley one is top of the list for replacement - how did this get priority?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestersh...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-5478...

Buses, it would appear.

It's been overdue for years, that bridge is unsuitable for anything more than two cars passing. Get a lorry or bus and people have to stop to give way.
Yes there will be a bus lane, but the carriageway desperately needed widening.
The development of 7000 houses, a new arena and industrial estates on the old runway a stones throw away from here, its connection to Bristol Parkway station probably make it one of the more sensible projects in the mess that is public transport in and around Bristol

Nearly back on track
https://www.gazetteseries.co.uk/news/18889882.netw...
Gaps around the bridge have been filled with blocks and stone

[DanMalkin]

By filled with blocks and stone you mean backfilled with expanded polystyrene and granular fill in accordance with the approved design I presume...?? Standard backfill design these days, EPS being a void filler

Edited by DanMalkin on Monday 23 November 18:03

[saaby93]

Another one
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-56899...

[sherman]

saaby93 said:

Another one
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-56899...

An almost 15ft bus trying to fit through a less than 14ft bridge. Is it the normal route for the bus or is it usually served by a single decker bus?

[MrBig]

Britain's "most hit" bridge continues it's run of strong form this morning. Usual resultant traffic carnage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershi...

[saaby93]

MrBig said:

Britain's "most hit" bridge continues it's run of strong form this morning. Usual resultant traffic carnage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershi...

'five railway bridge crashes per day nationally, with repairs costing an average of £13,000 per strike.'
£65,000 per day £24m per year
What could you do with £24m?