26/11/2009 - Military to install temporary footbridge in Workington : Cumbria County Council

It has been confirmed that a new temporary footbridge spanning the River Derwent in Workington will be built by the army.

The logistic support bridge will provide a vital connection between the north and south sides of the town which have been cut off after the Workington Bridge was destroyed and the Calva Bridge suffered significant structural damage from the floods and remains unstable and dangerous.

Prepatory work to install the new Mabey & Johnson bridge is beginning immediately and foundations should be in place by this Sunday November 29th. The bridge then needs to be assembled and dropped into place - hopefully the footbridge will be open to the public by December 5th.

Some 200 soldiers will be involved in the operation, including Royal Engineers (to build it), Royal Logistic Corps (to transport it –the bridge comes in many sections), Royal Signals and Royal Military Police. The military effort is being co-ordinated by the regional Brigade for North West England, 42 (North West) Brigade and soldiers will be carrying out the work in round-the-clock shifts to reconnect the town as soon as possible.

Survey work was completed by a team from 64 Works Group Royal Engineers, based in Nottingham, who will also oversee the building work. The construction work will be undertaken by 3 Armoured Engineer Squadron, part of 22 Engineer Regiment, based in Tidworth.

Installing a footbridge is the simplest and quickest immediate solution to span the River Derwent. Engineers are still exploring options on road connections over the river, but at this stage the immediate priority is link the two communities.

The bridge will be positioned 300m upstream (east) of the Calva Bridge and access will be from the park on the south side.

Sadiq Khan, Transport Minister, said:

"Having seen for myself the devastation in Cumbria I know that the installation of this footbridge is a vital first step in reuniting the local community and helping them to recover from the flooding. We are committed to ensuring that the county has all the support it needs to restore its infrastructure and help residents and businesses to get back to normality as soon as possible. That is why I am delighted that the Government has been able to provide the funding to get the construction of this bridge underway so quickly."

Cllr Jim Buchanan, Leader of Cumbria County Council, said:

"Our highways engineers have been pulling out all the stops and working with the army to make this happen as soon as possible. It's vital that we get people moving and able to cross the river. I'd like to offer my thanks and congratulations to everyone involved in getting this project up and running so quickly. I'd also like to express my gratitude to the Government for its confirmation it will be paying for the new bridge as part of its recovery package."

Brigadier Bill Aldridge, Commander 42 (North West) Brigade, said:

"We are very pleased to have been asked to help the civilian authorities and assist the local community in Workington with constructing this bridge across the River Derwent. The Army is very much part of society and part of the fabric of Cumbria where my Brigade is based and we are determined to do what we can, where appropriate, and in partnership with the civilian agencies, to assist in the recovery from these devastating floods."

On a separate note, three vehicles have been seen crossing the Calva Bridge this morning after drivers were spotted by CCTV cameras removing road safety barriers and warning signs so that they could drive across the bridge. In addition to putting lives at risk, drivers are also liable to face prosecution by Cumbria Police for such reckless actions. Highways staff will be installing motorway-style barriers to reinforce the road closure and prevent any further attempts to cross the bridge, but in the meantime no-one must attempt to cross the bridge again.