Havengore Bridge opening

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Ken Wickham

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Received this up date the other day
Ken Wickham

Havengore Bridge – closed to marine traffic

Due to an ongoing issue affecting automated operation, Havengore Bridge remains closed to marine traffic. We’re pleased to confirm that a series of major upgrades is being planned and should commence before Christmas. The works will rectify the current fault and improve the overall reliability and resilience of the mechanism.

In the interim, we will consider operating the bridge manually on selected weekends subject to favourable tides and significant demand. Any dates identified for manual operation will be published on our website.

Regards, Nicki

Nicki Uden – Community Liaison Officer, SHOEBURYNESS RANGE
Careline: 0800 0560108
Email: nuden@QinetiQ.com

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What constitutes "significant demand" ?

When I go through, it is usually as an individual boat. Does one boat constitute significant demand, or does there have to be a queue of us before they consider opening it? The latter is highly unlikely, so it reads to me that it is effectively unusable.

Very weirdly worded.
 
We as a pressure group in the Roach have been working to try and get MOD to at least talk to us over the past 3 -4 years. They have a major problem of their own making, we have boats that need access through for the winter and they have agreed to manually open if required/requested. We can't see any problems with the arrangement, so far they have opened even for one boat?
 
Ken Wickham said:
We as a pressure group in the Roach have been working to try and get MOD to at least talk to us over the past 3 -4 years. They have a major problem of their own making, we have boats that need access through for the winter and they have agreed to manually open if required/requested. We can't see any problems with the arrangement, so far they have opened even for one boat?
Click to expand...

Being a lot closer to the situation you may be able to answer what their real problem is.

Is it money, lack of interest, ancient mechanical s, non commercial pressure etc etc

Perhaps us sailors could help them in some way.
 
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Originally when I started to question what was happening I would have said all those. But applying gentle pressure, engaging MP's and all the local yards who were commercially effected it slowly become to both sides of the issue a real problem. It came to a head when QintetiQ would not talk to me so i just turned the screw a little tighter and ended up at Westminster speaking to 2 of the senior Directors and the local MP. From that date we now have regular meetings and though we had a lengthy spell of the bridge being out of constant action, we have a better understanding of their problems. Yes a bespoke piece of engineering like the Thames Barrier, yes they didn't give it the maintenance it required and yes they could not and did not wish to see the marine users point of view.
With the small local Stake Holders group we have moved far and a full survey of both bridges has been completed and costings have been raised to carry out extensive works.
I did try to engage with the RYA, I am a member and our local sailing association are affiliated members. Sadly they didn't see this access as being a problem if not used, my conclusion was it wasn't on the South Coast so they probably didn't know of its existence thus no backing.
Hope this explains the story so far, next meeting is in early December where we hope to have full details of what their proposals are.
 
Ken Wickham said:
Originally when I started to question what was happening I would have said all those. But applying gentle pressure, engaging MP's and all the local yards who were commercially effected it slowly become to both sides of the issue a real problem. It came to a head when QintetiQ would not talk to me so i just turned the screw a little tighter and ended up at Westminster speaking to 2 of the senior Directors and the local MP. From that date we now have regular meetings and though we had a lengthy spell of the bridge being out of constant action, we have a better understanding of their problems. Yes a bespoke piece of engineering like the Thames Barrier, yes they didn't give it the maintenance it required and yes they could not and did not wish to see the marine users point of view.
With the small local Stake Holders group we have moved far and a full survey of both bridges has been completed and costings have been raised to carry out extensive works.
I did try to engage with the RYA, I am a member and our local sailing association are affiliated members. Sadly they didn't see this access as being a problem if not used, my conclusion was it wasn't on the South Coast so they probably didn't know of its existence thus no backing.
Hope this explains the story so far, next meeting is in early December where we hope to have full details of what their proposals are.
Click to expand...

Many thanks for the explanation.

Sounds like the bridge needs more than just a spray of WD40 .

Best of luck with future negotiations .
 
Yes and also direct to Hamble and their legal department via the East of England Affiliated Conference some years back. Their Cruising Lead in a telephone conversation put the phone down on me, I asked the Chairman at the time of EECRYA to take it up and he got a similar response. I send RYA East regular up dates and they /the mag place it in their mag. I have worked with Tim on this but sadly we are not recognised by RYA Hamble for our work thus I have tended to work under the Stake Holders group and the RAFCC to which we had success.
 
Havengore Bridge: Update 05.12.19

Havengore Bridge remains closed to marine traffic but we’re pleased to confirm that significant progress is being made towards returning the bridge to full working order. We’re committed to a major project to refurbish, overhaul and upgrade all systems with a view to improving reliability, serviceability and long-term resilience.

QinetiQ’s specialist contractor recently carried out a deep mechanical and electrical survey and analysis and have developed a substantial package of works. Some minor electrical works will begin in December and continue in January with the main package set to commence in early February 2020.

The hydraulic system will be redesigned and improved with upgraded hydraulic components and replacement of the main lift cylinders. Controls equipment, systems and software will also be redesigned and upgraded to modern standards and fully integrated with the hydraulics. A new safety system and fault diagnostic technology will also improve bridge operations and reduce repairs times.

The major works will take several weeks to complete and we will continue to offer manual operation of the bridge (subject to sufficient demand and suitable tides), until they begin in February. Once the works have commenced, the bridge will be completely inoperable and therefore impassable for marine traffic until it is returned to full operational capacity.

We thank you for your continued patience and co-operation and will continue to provide updates to this information as the project moves forward.

Regards, Nicki

Nicki Uden – Community Liaison Officer, SHOEBURYNESS RANGE
Careline: 0800 0560108
 
QinetiQ have just released an update, From 10th Feb the major work on the bridge takes place and its anticipated it will be completed early April. This means that from the 10th Feb till early April they are not in the position to open the bridge even manually.
Potton Swing bridge also is being maintained / overhauled at the same time, this can still operate 2 hrs each side of high water though.
Please circulate among the cruising groups and East Coast clubs.

Regards
ken Wickham
 
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