Urgent boating news

[ranworthbreeze]

Please see below  communication  received from EastPort UK regarding Breydon Bridge.

 

 

Please be aware that the Highways Agency are intending to perform a bridge lift on Wednesday 26^th February 2014 at approximately 20:30.

 

We are in the process of making extensive temporary repairs to enable this, and works and test lifts will be carried out overnight Tues 25^th Feb.

Assuming successful tests, we will be in a position to carry out the lift to vessels on Weds.

 

Please could you make your members & contacts aware, so that any craft wishing to transit Breydon Bridge are in place for the lift on Wednesday night.

 

We also need to know if any vessels transiting are tall masted, as it is likely we will not be able to open the bridge fully during this emergency lift.

 

Permanent repairs are due to commence w/c 17^th March, once replacement parts are received. However at this moment we do not know if the bridge will be fully repaired and able to go into full operation.

I will update you as I know more.

 

Regards

Stuart

 

Stuart Clarke

Port Engineer

EastPort UK

 

Direct Dial:  01493 335516                               Mobile:     07584 238899                  

Email: sclarke@eastportuk.co.uk                     Web: www.eastportuk.co.uk

 

[mbird]

Sheesh

 

So Mutford lock out of action for 3 months and Breydon bridge knackered for the foreseeable future. Doesn't bode too well for getting out to sea this year!

[Hockham Admiral]

I thought they could open the lock manually, Mark?

[mbird]

Only with a lot of notice I think John.

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

If this is Breydon bridge we`re reading about, and NOT haven Bridge, surely there`s enough air draught to get your boat through Mark, especially at low tide, it`s a big bridge?.

[mbird]

There normally is for us Neil, as we can fold down our radar arch so we're about 12', but not for some of the bigger Brooms. Clearance is published at 11'6" at average high water so a lot less on a spring. It's not as tall as you think!

[ranworthbreeze]

Further to my email below the Authority has just been informed that the planned lift of Breydon Bridge for Wednesday 26^th February has been cancelled as it has not been possible to repair the bridge to a condition which would guarantee a safe and reliable lift. 

 

Kind regards.

 

 

Chris Bailey

Administrative Officer Operations

 

Broads Authority

Tel:        01603 756007

email:  chris.bailey@broads-authority.gov.uk

 

Please note my current working days are Monday - Wednesday.

[LondonRascal]

I could be wrong, but did this not pop up as being a problem after the large equipment was taken to Cantley by barge?

I understand that Breydon Bridge had to lift then.

It is a bit like it has not been used for ages, they use it - it works and breaks and now everyone is having to figure out how to fix it.

It seems a shame so much infrastructure on the rivers is not in a good state of repair – some as a result of forces of nature, other because frankly they need replacing but there is no money in the pot. I wonder how much it would cost to replace all the swing bridges on the rivers alone.

[mbird]

They did have a lot of problems with one of the road barriers there a couple of years ago. On one particular trip Breydon bridge couldn't lift for us due to this problem but managed to two hours later, then Haven bridge had a problem that they managed to sort in about 10 minutes, and then to cap it all Bascule bridge in Lowestoft had barrier issues too. That was all in one trip when we decided to go to Oulton Broad by sea in order to avoid the problems they were having at the time with the Somerleyton Swing bridge!!

Sometimes it just don't go right