'There isn't any bridge like this'

Network Rail director David Davidson explains the work being carried out on the Kingsferry Bridge linking Sheppey to the mainland

Transcript

00:00We had originally intended this in two years' time, and that was the plan, and that allowed us to plan a little bit better.

00:06But we've been checking the ropes, and we've been using a type of x-ray,

00:10and the ropes have actually degraded at a much higher rate than we'd expected,

00:14which means that if we don't do the work now, the bridge will fail.

00:18And if it fails, what will happen is we'll have to close the bridge, because we won't be able to lift it for shipping,

00:23and then we'll have to mobilise a project team, which will be really difficult.

00:27That will mean that the disruption will be much higher, the bridge will be closed for a much longer period of time,

00:31and cause a lot more disruption, so it's really critical for us to get in now and do the work.

00:35So this is a very bespoke bridge, so there isn't any other bridges like this.

00:40We don't carry common spares, everything has to be fabricated and designed to do this structure.

00:46There's a lot of manual handling on this, so behind us on the pillars there's six ropes,

00:52and on the end of those we have counterweights, and there's hundreds of counterweights

00:56that have to be manually undone, lowered down from the structure.

00:59So it's a piece of work that's very methodical, and takes a lot of time to deliver.