The 201-three hundred and sixty five days-historical suspension bridge between Horncliffe in Northumberland and Fishwick in Berwickshire is being thoroughly refurbished, stripped out and effect aid together afresh.
Spencer Neighborhood has been appointed by Northumberland County Council to dismantle the bridge and discover a full £10.5m refurbishment and rebuild.
After a prolonged process of dismantling, inspection and repair, work is now beneath skill on the re-erection of essentially the most important suspension chains.
Striking the chains aid up is sluggish work. In total there are 2,000 metres of metal and the predominant chain turned into once hauled out over a three-day length to re-connect the two countries at this level. The approaching weeks will look the erection of the final 11 chains sooner than work starts on re-inserting within the deck hangers sooner than starting to rebuild the bridge deck.
Constructed in 1820 by Captain Samuel Brown, the Union Chain Bridge is the oldest operational chain suspension bridge on the planet calm carrying vehicles.
Restoration of the structure began in October 2020 and Spencer team spent final autumn inspecting, repairing and refurbishing your complete parts that made up the bridge after it turned into once dismantled.
It’s some distance anticipated that the reconstruction and restoration works will continue for lots of months, with the bridge reopening to be used in late spring 2022.
Northumberland County Council cabinet member for local companies and products John Riddle said: “Right here’s but but any other milestone and a in actual fact welcome one – to at final look this well-known structure launch to be effect aid together. We’ve labored exhausting to preserve as quite lots of the fashioned aspects as is that that it is in all probability you’ll presumably be mediate of while also guaranteeing the bridge is ready to fulfil its predominant motive and everyone eager with the carrying out is overjoyed to head attempting the bridge once more taking shape.”
Scottish Borders councillor Gordon Edgar said: “The restoration of the Union Chain Bridge is a vastly important carrying out, reinstating a key crossing level between the Scottish Borders and Northumberland and conserving this ancient structure for many, a few years but to come.”
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