HIGH BRIDGE REHABILITATION PROJECT

This article describes the rehabilitation of the High Bridge over the River Trent in Staffordshire, England, which is a Grade 2 listed cast iron arch bridge. Repairs to the bridge have been required largely because of mining subsidence in the area. Before mining began under the bridge, certain measures were implemented in the early 1980s, to alleviate the damage from the expected settlement. They included the construction of a temporary two-span two-way bridge to the west of the existing bridge, to allow diversion of traffic from the High Bridge. Staffordshire County Council commissioned G. Maunsell and Partners to develop a scheme for building a permanent new bridge across the river, on the site of the temporary bridge, and restore the High Bridge to its former condition. Edward Nuttall Limited was commissioned to perform the construction works. To enable the new bridge to be built, traffic had to be diverted from the temporary bridge onto a clear 50m span over the arch bridge but not placing any load on it. The new bridge had ten steel plate girders and a reinforced concrete deck, and was opened for traffic in June 1996. The cast iron bridge was repaired using cold stitching, and works are now in progress to restore its masonry abutments, to prevent further deterioration due to weather.