Why is it taking so long?
The bridge is in very poor condition, with
rust and rotting timbers, so there is a lot of work to do. We have
to be careful not to damage its fragile structure while removing
layers of paint or when carrying out the other work on this listed
structure.
We are very restricted in how we can work. The
bridge cannot take heavy weights so we have to repair sections
of the bridge at a time before moving the heavy equipment to the
next section. We also have to make sure there is a navigable
channel on the Thames which restricts our ability to work
underneath the bridge.
We have to carefully remove 12 coats of paint
while at the same time ensuring that we do not damage the fabric of
this structure. We then have to repair, prime and repaint it
coat by coat.
The bridge is 710 feet long made up of two 155
foot side spans and a central span of 400 feet. The total width is
41 feet wide.
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