Bridge of sighs: Drypool Bridge closed for ‘at least two weeks’ with repairs taking up to a year

CLOSED TO TRAFFIC: Drypool Bridge

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Drypool Bridge will be closed to vehicles for at least the next fortnight after load-bearing columns were found to be showing “severe stress” during a routine inspection two days ago.

Further detailed inspections over the next two weeks will determine whether the bridge can reopen to limited vehicle use while major repairs are carried out.

The repairs – expected to cost “at least” £7m – will take between eight and 12 months to complete.

The bridge remains open to pedestrians, cyclists and river traffic.

A diversion along Wilberforce Drive, the A165 over North Bridge, and the A1165 will be in place.

Hull City Council is also asking motorists to avoid the area between the peak hours of 4pm to 6.30pm if possible.

The closure, imposed as a precaution at 7pm on Wednesday after the initial inspection, has already created severe congestion in the city centre during peak times.

The defects were discovered on the fixed span on the east side of the bridge and do not affect the moving section.

CONGESTION: Traffic on Alfred Gelder Street heading up to the bridge at rush hour yesterday

The damage to the columns is known as “spalling”, which is the deterioration of steel in the reinforced concrete, causing the concrete to crack and break away, resulting in a loss of structural strength. The defects were not evident during the last inspection six months ago.

In an update today, Garry Taylor, the council’s assistant director of major projects, culture and place, said: “The council carries out structural surveys every six months to make sure our bridges continue to be safe for all road users.

“Since the last inspection in November, several of the load bearing columns have deteriorated significantly, and extensive repair works are required as a consequence.

“We appreciate the impact this disruption will have and apologise to all those who will be affected. However, the safety of our citizens is always our top priority, and we must ensure the bridge is safe before re-opening to motorists.

“Signed diversion routes will be in place throughout the works and we are modifying our wider traffic control processes in the city and working with our partners to mitigate as much as we can.”

Essential overnight closures (midnight to 6am) on neighbouring North Bridge are due to conclude on Friday, April 19. During these hours it is recommended that motorists use Stoneferry Bridge and Myton bridge only.

Some non-essential roadworks currently under way elsewhere in the city may be paused to mitigate the disruption, Mr Taylor said.

Asked how the repairs would be funded, he said: “There’s an annual capital programme; we’ll be working within that capital programme that’s available. There’s no national funding for bridges, so we don’t get funding for bridges. However, we will be engaging with the relevant minister around potentially funding for this, specifically in the context of the recent announcements on redistribution of funding around HS2 [national high speed rail project] so we can access some of that for this particular piece of infrastructure.”

DAMAGE: The concrete support pillars which have caused the closure

On asking people to avoid the area during peak hours, Mr Taylor said: “If people can avoid [the area]… we understand people have to make their journeys at certain times but if they can avoid, if their organisation will allow them to leave a bit earlier or set off a bit later, obviously that would be helpful in this context.”

Drypool Bridge is one of seven bridges across the River Hull in the city.

The rolling bridge opened in 1961, replacing the original 1889 swing bridge. The deck was replaced in 2001, and the footways in 2012.

Of the others, Sculcoates Bridge, which is listed, is closed to vehicles because of its condition and will take “a number of years to bring back into use”, Mr Taylor said.