Victoria Bridge Bath Closed to Navigation

[David Schweizer]

It has just been announced on National Radio that all navigation on The River Avon under Victoria Bridge in Bath has been banned because of strutural faults in the bridge. The News item said that the Council had banned all navigation, but as this section of the Avon is managed by BW, I suspect it is they who have introduced the restriction.

 

The bridge itself has been closed to all traffic for some while, and the City Council are committed to restoring it, but they have said it could be closed for a long time, that will upset the Hire Boat Companies operating out of Bristol.

Edited November 12, 2011 by David Schweizer

[Chris Pink]

It has just been announced on National Radio that all navigation on The River Avon under Victoria Bridge in Bath has been banned because of strutural faults in the bridge. The News item said that the Council had banned all navigation, but as this section of the Avon is managed by BW, I suspect it is they who have introduced the restriction.

 

The bridge itself has been closed to all traffic for some while, and the City Council are committed to restoring it, but they have said it could be closed for a long time, that will upset the Hire Boat Companies operating out of Bristol.

 

It's upsetting me as I need to go under it on Monday and Tuesday.

 

I wonder how effective the barrage will be.

 

..and do not BW have a statutory right to maintain the right of Navigation on the river?

[David Schweizer]

I have just found the BBC release, It would appear that the closure could be rtemporary but I doubt that it will be open on Monday:-

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-15700414

[Chris Pink]

Why is the river closed?

 

...because it's a bank holiday.

 

 

 

It's the river that's closed now, Bath bottom to Weston Lock (both padlocked), engineers meeting on Monday.

[Josher]

15 November 2011 Last updated at 09:24 BBC

 

 

Bath's Victoria Bridge fix plan may be 'major problem'. Victoria Bridge, Bath The River Avon between the Weston lock and the Bath flight of locks has been closed to river traffic

 

A lock keeper has warned if repairs to a crumbling footbridge over the River Avon go beyond next summer it could be a "major problem" for river users. Bath's Victoria Bridge was closed over safety concerns and British Waterways has now stopped boats going under it. It means Kennet and Avon Canal users cannot travel between Bristol and Bath. Lock keeper Trevor Skoyles said few craft were currently using that stretch of the canal, but a long repair programme would be an issue.

 

Mr Skoyles said: "We've got this window of three or four months where it's not a good idea to go out on the river. "If this were April it would be a completely different story. Where we get concerned it where people talk about summer 2013 - that's a major, major problem."

 

It was announced last week that the towpaths would be closed this weekend whilst the footbridge was being propped up. British Waterways has met Bath and North East Somerset Council over the issue, but no decision has been made about repairs.

[magpie patrick]

If it goes into next summer they will at least have to make an arrangement to allow boats as down the locks to the city centre moorings. TBH if the navigation is closed that long it is down to a lack of political will not engineering know how

[deletedaccount]

Damn, that's annoying.

 

I imagine it's a right pisser for those trapped between the bridge and the locks too!

 

No sewage and you have to pay to moor if you want any water.

[deletedaccount]

Theories about how convenient this is for the riverside developers abound: http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Update-New-row-Victoria-Bridge-river-closed-boats/story-13797253-detail/story.html

[Josher]

Latest ...

 

Boat ban could last ten weeks - but Victoria Bridge could reopen earlier than planned

 

Wednesday, November 16, 2011 This is Bath

 

A ban on boats using a stretch of the River Avon in Bath because of a dangerous bridge could stay in force for up to ten weeks. A row is simmering over 19th century Victoria Bridge, which was shut in October last year and will not be reopened until early next year.

 

River closed near Victoria Bridge

 

A recent safety inspection found that the state of one of the central hanger supports had worsened, and the towpath around the footbridge has also now been closed. Emergency repairs are under way in a three-stage process which will cost £3.2 million and lead to a permanent repair being completed by the winter of 2013. British Waterways last week decided to close the river between the Bath Flight of Locks at Widcombe and Weston Lock, although it will be reopening the Bath Bottom Lock to allow some trapped boats access to the Kennet and Avon Canal.

 

The original closure of the grade two listed bridge was prompted by corrosion to cables and beams and its continued mothballing has angered cyclists, opposition councillors and school students. British Waterways said in a statement earlier this week that it hoped to reopen the stretch in around three weeks, but the latest timescale from B&NES suggests this could now take as long as ten weeks. Mark Stephens, waterway manager at British Waterways, said: “We will shortly be opening Bath Bottom Lock to allow boaters stuck in Bath city centre access to the Kennet and Avon Canal and vice-versa. This is a popular spot and we ask our customers to be patient while the council carries out the necessary work to make the bridge safe for passing boats and visitors.”

 

The better news is that at the end of the ten-week period, the bridge should also be reopened, rather than the closure lasting into next summer, as had been envisaged last week. The council’s ruling cabinet is to consider a project plan for the 1836 bridge - which is now being inspected weekly by structural engineers - at a meeting on December 7. A council spokesman said: “The most recent set of inspections have resulted in concern about the deterioration in the condition of the bridge. The council has acted swiftly to respond to these recent inspections to maintain public safety and protect the bridge.” The authority had hoped that propping up the bridge would allow the towpath to have reopened by now but tests carried out on Friday led it to keep the riverside path closed, and prompted the boat ban. Engineers are now installing specially-made straps to support the structure, but the council says this work is unlikely to be enough to open up the bridge, the towpath or the river.

 

Next, in around a month, work will start on constructing a latticed box around the bridge which will also provide support for contractors working on the permanent restoration of the bridge. This is expected to cost £390,000 and take up to six weeks, at which point British Waterways can make a decision on whether or not it is safe to reopen the stretch of river, and the bridge should reopen. B&NES is planning to meet boat owners to discuss the idea of a very limited and monitored reopening to allow boats through for a few hours while the bridge is being repaired.

 

The council said it had researched its repair options extensively and is using the same technique as was employed to repair another of designer Thomas Dredge’s bridges in Scotland. It said: “This temporary works solution provides both an early protection to limit the risk of collapse and also serve as an efficient, safe working platform on which to undertake permanent refurbishment.” B&NES is liaising with English Heritage over the final repair phase, a permanent repair solution, to be completed by the winter of 2013. It added: “The council recognises that the bridge is a key route in the city and it has a significant heritage value to the city. Engineers are making significant efforts to find a solution to protect this highly complex structure.” B&NES will have to foot the bill for the bridge repair, although the developer of the nearby Bath Riverside site, Crest Nicholson, is paying £480,000 for improvement work such as graffiti removal, cleaning, repainting, lighting and landscaping under a planning agreement.

 

Conservative spokesman for sustainable development, Councillor Patrick Anketell-Jones (Con Lansdown) said: “The continued delays to reopening Victoria Bridge are becoming increasingly worrying, particularly as the bridge appears to be in a worse state than previously thought. There is now real urgency to seeing action taken. If the council was planning a temporary fix to reopen the bridge it should have done so by now.” Another opposition politician, the council’s first-ever river champion Councillor Dave Laming (Con, Lambridge) said closing the river was like closing the M4 and would have a serious impact on boaters. He said: “The closure of the river to all river traffic is extremely worrying, not just to boat users like myself, but to all residents in the city. “It really is the river equivalent of shutting off the M4 motorway to traffic. For too many years the river passing through our city has not been maintained to the standard it deserves. The water course, its banks and bridges have been left to decay, and we are now seeing the consequences of this. Like all cities with a river at their heart, Bath’s local economy benefits enormously from the River Avon and the boat traffic it brings. If this were to be stopped for a long period this could prove very damaging to our local economy.” He added: “I have been speaking with the council’s officers about the matter and impressing upon the importance of taking action as soon as possible to get the bridge safe so that boats can pass underneath again.”

 

The managing director of the Penny Lane river cruise boat, Gary Fisher, said they were unaffected by the closure as most of their events on the boat at this time of the year did not involve sailing and were mainly static. However, he said: “In February we have to do a test sail to Bristol for our yearly inspection, without that we won’t be able to prove that our boat is worthy to carry passengers.” He said: “Realistically it is happening at the right time of year for us but if it had been the summer it would have been catastrophic.”

 

A Facebook group called Save Victoria Bridge has been established, with one idea mooted being to press English Heritage to promote it to a grade one listed structure.

[Bat & Frog]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-15753274

[Josher]

Update ...

 

Victoria Bridge - update statement Thursday, November 17, 2011 This is Bath

 

In October 2010, Victoria Bridge was closed to pedestrians and cyclists in the interests of public safety. This closure followed a scheduled periodic inspection of the bridge's structural condition by Bath & North East Somerset Council. Since this time, independent structural engineers have conducted further regular detailed inspections to ascertain its condition. The most recent set of inspections have resulted in concern about the deterioration in the condition of the bridge. The Council has acted swiftly to respond to these recent inspections to maintain public safety and protect the bridge.

 

Current Situation

 

We took the decision last week to temporarily close the River Avon path which runs under the bridge to allow emergency works to take place to prop-up the bridge on both sides of the river. Whilst the tow path on the south side will remain closed due to the Bath Riverside works, we had planned to re-open the path on the northern side once the propping-up works were completed and tow path was considered safe. Regrettably, the further test results received on Friday 11th November 2011 revealed further deterioration of the structure, especially on one of the central hangers. This is a serious issue as any weakness in the central area of the bridge increases the risk to the structure. Because of the problem on the central hanger, the temporary closure on the northern side of the river remains. We reported these issues to British Waterways (BW) who took the decision to close the River Avon in the vicinity of Victoria Bridge. The Council fully supports this decision and is keeping BW informed of our actions. Alongside BW, we urge river users to observe the restriction in place in the interests of their safety.

 

Next Steps

 

The Council recognises that the bridge is a key route in the city and it has a significant heritage value to the city. Engineers are making significant efforts to find a solution to protect this highly complex structure. Our approach consists of three phases.

 

Phase One – Emergency Works

 

These consist of propping-up the bridge either side of the river – already complete – and temporarily strapping the bridge to support the structure. The straps were manufactured on Tuesday 15th November 2011 and will be applied this week. It may take up to several days to complete this operation. Although the works will help address the effects of the deterioration of the structure, these works are highly unlikely to be able to allow the tow path to re-open or BW to make a decision to open the River Avon on this stretch. Continuous inspections of the structure will go on during the coming weeks.

 

Phase Two – Temporary Works

 

In approximately one month, work will start on constructing a temporary truss that will also provide the necessary support to safeguard the bridge and also enable the permanent restoration of the bridge. Upon completion of these works anticipated to take up to 6 weeks, BW can make a decision on whether or not it is safe to re-open this stretch of the River Avon. We researched the options extensively and this design was developed from a proven solution used by Scottish Heritage in the conservation and repair of the Bridge of Oich, in Scotland and is a very similar bridge by the same Bath bridge builder, James Dredge. This temporary works solution provides both an early protection to limit the risk of collapse and also serve as an efficient, safe working platform on which to undertake permanent refurbishment.

 

Phase Three – Full Restoration

 

We are proactively developing potential permanent solutions to permanently fix the problem and have been liaising with English Heritage on the permanent restoration of this technically complex, listed structure to re-open the bridge to the public. It is envisaged that this third phase of work could be completed by winter 2013.

 

Clarification on Bath Riverside Section 106 planning agreement

 

Under the existing agreement between the Council and Crest Nicholson as part of the Bath Western Riverside planning agreement, Crest will provide funding for works to Victoria Bridge and Victoria Bridge North. This money can only cover works of a non-structural nature, for example the re-decoration of the superstructure, graffiti removal and masonry cleaning and re-pointing and paving, lighting and hard landscape improvement. In other words, they cannot be used to repair the structure. There is no possibility of this money being used for this purpose in any circumstances under the terms of the current agreement.

 

Further Updates

 

More information will be released by the Council about the progress of the works as it becomes available.

[Chris Pink]

Does a Right of Navigation still hold for the River Avon in Bath?

[magpie patrick]

Does a Right of Navigation still hold for the River Avon in Bath?

 

Yes, the 1968 Transport Act only removed the Right of Navigation from canals. So, for example, there may not be one for Weston Lock Cut, and there certainly isn't a right of navigation on the canal at Bradford on Avon, but there most certainly is a right to navigate on payment of the appropriate toll on the river itself. Holding a licence would be the appropriate toll.

 

This is why, for example, BW allow boats onto the Severn in flood if the owner signs a disclaimer

[carlt]

 

This is why, for example, BW allow boats onto the Severn in flood if the owner signs a disclaimer

So if they wanted to navigate under the bridge and were willing to sign a disclaimer...?

[magpie patrick]

So if they wanted to navigate under the bridge and were willing to sign a disclaimer...?

 

My view (and it is only my view, admittedly based on 20 years of working with rights of navigation) is that BW and BANES* would have to allow them to navigate if they signed a disclaimer

 

*Bath and North East Somerset council are commonly known as BANES, an unfortunate but apt acronym

[Chris Pink]

My view (and it is only my view, admittedly based on 20 years of working with rights of navigation) is that BW and BANES* would have to allow them to navigate if they signed a disclaimer

 

 

If I had pushed this on Monday I wouldn't have lost a lucrative job.

[magpie patrick]

Sorry Chris, I wish I'd known about that, I'd have tried to help.

 

That said my view is that BANES would have said no and I'd now be assisting you with a claim against them. Their acronym name sticks for a reason.

[luctor et emergo]

Hmm, mr magpie patrick. I think I need a word with you, soonest....

[Chris Pink]

Sorry Chris, I wish I'd known about that, I'd have tried to help.

 

That said my view is that BANES would have said no and I'd now be assisting you with a claim against them. Their acronym name sticks for a reason.

 

Well it should have occurred to me at the time.

 

It's not like me to go "oh OK then" which is exactly what I did.

[luctor et emergo]

I need to do a run to Hannam, for deliveries. Like my forebearers, I see a chain across the water more as a waypoint, than a hindrance...

[mochbach]

Heard today that the Victoria Bridge is being opened at 8am tomorrow morning (Friday 6th).

 

Is anybody planning to start moving from Bath down towards Bristol? I am looking for company - would be nice to share some locks - and would like to get down there by the middle of next week - unmoveable deadlines at the end of the week.

 

Would be great to hear from anyone planning to move down that way

Edited January 5, 2012 by mochbach