Twin Sails - Poole Bridge work

RIN

RIN

Well-Known Member
Joined
2 Mar 2003
Messages
3,236
Location
West Midlands
Visit site
Have not seen much on this at all recently, but a timetable for the new bridge was presented to the Poole Bridge Operating Board

• Tender April/May 2009.
• Contract agreed August/September 2009
• 10 day standing period.
• Start dredging August/September 2009.
• Mooring re-location August/September 2009.
• Bridge foot print clear mid October 2009.
• On site October/November 2009.
• Mooring piles moved January/February 2010

So with a bit of luck the thing will drift into 2010 due to complex contractual negotiations and it will not impact us this year.
They are also talking about a free flow on both bridges at busy periods - that sounds like good news too.
 
The whole thing has potential for being a disaster for those of us in Holes Bay.

Free flowing is something they said they'd never do, let's hope there has been a change of heart, otherwise chaos will reign in busy periods.

How much is the final cost going to rise by, think it's about £40 milion at the moment. 50, 60, I'll go for £100 million /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
RIN
Good info, where did you get it from. I`m in Cobbs so this will miff (!!!) me off a bit when it all starts. Wonder how many others have already been looking at moving the boat to another marina.
Any idea on the proposed opening details from one bridge to another.
 
I was talking to one of the guys from the CQ BHA last week about this, and he said that despite objections, it is planned that the bridges will not be opened together. Each bridge will be opened in turn and a limited number of boats allowed through at each lift. Thus if there is a lift scheduled for 35 boats and you are #36 in the queue (or later) you will be told to return to the marina. The same thing will happen at every bridge, although numbers will be increased at busy times.

In between each bridge lift these boats will be expected to mill around waiting for the second bridge to lift in its turn.

This will be chaos as people jostle for position to get through the first bridge, then have to try to hold station in the limited space between the bridges. And to add to the misery apparently the bridge lift scheme will be manned by the same council wallahs who man the car parks as now. Thus there will be delays in bridge lift times if someone presses the help button in a car park as they take priority in case there is a distress situation.

Our best bet is for every affected boater to report each and every near miss and safety issue to the MCGA and get them to come down and "investigate" them. They will pretty soon tell the council they couldn't organise a piss up in a brewery and hopefully get things changed before there is a serious incident.
 
We will be moving away from Cobbs this weekend, after being there for almost six years. One of the main reasons for moving is the concept of the new bridge. A sunny Sunday afternoon with one bridge to contend with is bad enough. I dread to think what it will be like with two!
 
are there any dimensions of the new bridge anywhere? as there's a wider span, it has been suggested that the height of the bridge could be higher than that of the existing one. This might help lower boats get through without a lift?
 
Poole Council used to have a wealth of information on the new bridge (including some rather alarming drawings of arrangements for boats transiting to be moored between bridges) which has now disappeared from their website. I am pretty sure I remember reading that it was going to be the same height as the existing lifting bridge. Best hope is that old bridge will get so expensive to repair that it will not be used.

Also the bridges would not necessarily do a full three lift schedule to let boats through both ways. They were saying that some lifts would be of the two lift variety, meaning that boats could go completely through one way but in the other direction would have to be stuck in the basin between bridges to wait an hour or two for the next lift. Hope wiser councils have prevailed!
 
[ QUOTE ]
are there any dimensions of the new bridge anywhere? as there's a wider span, it has been suggested that the height of the bridge could be higher than that of the existing one. This might help lower boats get through without a lift?

[/ QUOTE ]

I enquired last year by e-mail about the planned airdraught for the new bridge - still waiting for a response /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif
 
Is it really almost six years you have been at CQ, saying that I've been there 25 - should get long term discount!
Sad to hear you are moving, do you mind if I ask where you are going - just so that I can forward any bills etc - only joking.

Steve
 
Yep, this would have been our sixth year. I will still be around from time to time as I've been asked to continue to look after the Berth Holder's Association Web Site.

We're off to Port Solent to do battle with a Lock instead of Bridge(s)
 
As already mentioned, a lot of interesting info about the new bridge use to be on the PHC website, however I printed most of it so I have the 61 page document in front of me, but the bridge plan is on the boat!! However I think (dangerous I know) the new one is 300mm higher, it could be 330 though so don't quote me.
Just for info the old bridge maximum headroon at MHWS to the underside of the tranverse beam bottom flanges is 2.19m. For my boat (S28) I can get under the bridge when the tide is at 1.5 or lower, this gives me a clearance of 2.9 so it's anchor light between the beams at this height!!
You mention about if the new one is higher it would allow smaller boats through, however if the bridges are in operation,eg traffic lights controlling the flow then would boats be allowed to go through on a red? Surely the traffic can only be one way. Also if the holding area is allowing 35 boats in it would they allow more boats in as well - I think the word mayhem comes to mind don't you.
 
I was told there is going to be a separate traffic lane under the new bridge reserved for smaller vessels who can pass under the bridge at all times. I'm not sure whether this is still part of the plan or if its been scrapped.

And no info either on air draught of the new bridge - all the way through this I've felt like a mushroom - kept in the dark and fed on bullsh1t.
 
My work will get the tender forms for some of the work sent to them so will know more when that happens but the last time the plans were sent out for costing the new one was as Peanuts said about 300mm - 330mm higher but that could of changed it was years ago like when the costing was done
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top