Upper Orwell Crossings Ipswich

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So the architect behind the Willis Building has been selected to design the Upper Orwell Crossings. The Upper Orwell Crossings is a bridge approx half a mile away from the marinas in Ipswich. A design has been revealed consisting of a main transport bridge and a secondary pedestrian bridge. Early indications appear to suggest the air draft will be approx 20m for the primary, reduced to around 15m for the pedestrian deck. There is no feature for the bridge to open to accommodate taller masts etc..

Smaller yachts will be able to pass without problem but tall ships, warships (we don't really get the visits anymore), medium yachts and the like will not. For example the dutch Race of the Classics won't no longer be able to come here.

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upper-orwell-design-4.jpg
 
Upper-Orwell-Crossing-1-754x502.jpg


So the architect behind the Willis Building has been selected to design the Upper Orwell Crossings. The Upper Orwell Crossings is a bridge approx half a mile away from the marinas in Ipswich. A design has been revealed consisting of a main transport bridge and a secondary pedestrian bridge. Early indications appear to suggest the air draft will be approx 20m for the primary, reduced to around 15m for the pedestrian deck. There is no feature for the bridge to open to accommodate taller masts etc..

Smaller yachts will be able to pass without problem but tall ships, warships (we don't really get the visits anymore), medium yachts and the like will not. For example the dutch Race of the Classics won't no longer be able to come here.

unnamed-1024x611.jpg


upper-orwell-design-4.jpg

Typical bunch of self obsessed public proflie tyoes who don't look at the world. That will be the end of visiting Ipswich for us.
 
It would be interesting to see a plan for the road infrastructure to support the road bridge. I can't see an ideal routing looking at google maps. Is this bridge to provide an alternative to the A14 Orwell Bridge?
 
I can't believe they are going to set it that low, it would discourage a heck of a lot of visitors. I trust that all the local businesses that would be impacted will be on the case, plus the RYA and the CA. Ironic that the photo is taken with yachts in the backgound.
 
We're a roughly 11.5m boat with a 16.5m air draft, not exceptional, so 15m is going to be too restrictive for anything above about 34-35ft in length. How will Spirit Yachts function? This doesn't seem to make any sense at all.
 
Well, here's the specific study document from WSP, one of the consultants in the project, concerning mast height and vessel size as far as it impacts the proposed crossings.

Ipswich Wet Dock Crossings - Vessel Heights

They considered the 38m air draught above HAT limitation of the current Orwell bridge and the length/width constraints of the lock and concluded (correctly it seems to me) that the main issue will be yacht traffic in and out of the various marinas north of the proposed crossing. Their report certainly indicates nothing less than a 20-25m length vessel with an assumed mast height of 30-35m.

Although this was part of the supplementary documents in the planning proposal it doesn't seem to indicate they are pushing for a bridge height of 15-20m unless they are wilfully ignoring their own studies.
 
Upper-Orwell-Crossing-1-754x502.jpg


So the architect behind the Willis Building has been selected to design the Upper Orwell Crossings. The Upper Orwell Crossings is a bridge approx half a mile away from the marinas in Ipswich. A design has been revealed consisting of a main transport bridge and a secondary pedestrian bridge. Early indications appear to suggest the air draft will be approx 20m for the primary, reduced to around 15m for the pedestrian deck. There is no feature for the bridge to open to accommodate taller masts etc..

Smaller yachts will be able to pass without problem but tall ships, warships (we don't really get the visits anymore), medium yachts and the like will not. For example the dutch Race of the Classics won't no longer be able to come here.

unnamed-1024x611.jpg


upper-orwell-design-4.jpg

Sorry whoever you are but that is complete and utter bollocks. This has been kicking around for about 20 years now and recently IBC have taken possesion of Pond Hall Farm and swapped the Ash Tip for some ABP land along the dock. IBC'S onshore land ownership covered by the Ipswich Dock Acts end at the causeway rented by Orwell Yacht Club and their waterbased ownership include all of the river bed of the Orwell and includes Ostrich Creek where Fox's and OYC are unlawfully obstructing the right of navigation on tidal waters and they both look like likely places for one road landing so bye bye 1 marina and 1 sailing club. Another crossing will probably be from Ship Launch Road across the New Cut to Bath Street which will bugger Debbages and all their clients. Everything is speculation at the moment and will in any case require an Act of Parliament but they appear to be easily obtained by monied people and organisations including Ben Gummers company's. It also takes attention away from a Northern Bypass through the Gummers land.
 
That'll be the end of barges in the wet dock then - unless they fancy striking the top mast every time.

The dock will be filled in and along with the Island Site become a massive gated residential plot for ABP to have developed.
 
I can't believe they are going to set it that low, it would discourage a heck of a lot of visitors. I trust that all the local businesses that would be impacted will be on the case, plus the RYA and the CA. Ironic that the photo is taken with yachts in the backgound.

Spirit Yachts man is on the advisory board. SCC have announced they are against this scheme but their team and CEO are posing beside Gummer in the photo taken from Orwell Quay in the wet dock.
 
Not entirely.

I'm also not sure where these heights come from, i can't find anything online that gives such figures. Latest articles i found were from March this year and they don't mention height. I suspect we could be reading fake news.

Take no notice of SM, he is an idiot. I am not the OP but there again I would expect Richard Mathews of this parish to have a good idea of what is being speculated concerning Fox's.
 
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