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All across the Great Western territory => Buses and other ways to travel => Topic started by: infoman on April 04, 2020, 10:08:29



Title: Gipsy patch lane new bridge in North Bristol DELAYED
Post by: infoman on April 04, 2020, 10:08:29
Quote
Coronavirus crisis: Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge replacement postponed

Plans to demolish the existing narrow-arch railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane and replace it with a much wider concrete structure during a nine-day railway closure over Easter have been postponed as a consequence of the corinavirus crisis.

Over the last few months, the new 4,500 tonne bridge has been gradually taking shape in the Alun Griffiths site compound within the adjacent Horizon 38 business park. It was due to be moved into position in the early hours of 15th April 2020 using a 176-axle self-propelled modular transport unit.

But Network Rail has now been forced to postpone the bridge replacement operation because of the difficulty in adhering to government guidelines on social distancing, in particular the need to maintain a separation of two metres between members of the 150-strong team working on the project.

Network Rail says it is now working with its stakeholders to try to identify an opportunity later in the year when the bridge move can take place, “subject to any future government guidance and directives”.

Gipsy Patch Lane was closed to all road users at the railway bridge for an estimated eight-month period starting on 5th March 2020. An announcement issued today (Friday 3rd April) by South Gloucestershire Council says Gipsy Patch Lane and the Station Road junction will remain closed “so Network Rail and Alun Griffiths can continue their preparatory and highways work”.

Work that was planned to be carried out in the six or so months after the new bridge had been installed over Easter includes lowering the carriageway under the bridge, regrading the Station Road junction, construction of new carriageway and pathways and installation of a new drainage pumping station.

The current project timetable shows further carriageway work, e.g. the construction of new bus lanes, being carried out east and west of the bridge until the end of 2021.

The cost of replacing the Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge is £26.73 million. The work forms part of the Cribbs Patchway MetroBus Extension (CPME) scheme, which is funded to the tune of £56.9m by the West of England Combined Authority.

Photo of the new railway bridge under construction in the Alun Griffiths site compound.

Above: New railway bridge under construction in the Alun Griffiths site compound.

South Gloucestershire Council Cabinet member for transport, Cllr Steve Reade, said:

    “The new railway bridge is a significant engineering project which requires extensive works, including the demolition of the existing railway bridge and lowering the road to conform to national design standards for headroom under bridges.”

    “The safety of workers has to be paramount at this difficult time and following current government instructions and advice from Public Health England unfortunately it is not possible to carry out the bridge move.”

    “The CPME is an important part of our ambitions to keep South Gloucestershire moving now and in years to come. The council remains committed to this flagship scheme and we are working closely together to review the project and determine when this important phase can go ahead. However, the project team will be guided by any future government advice or directives concerning the coronavirus pandemic.”

    “We would like to thank the local community for their continued patience and understanding at this time. We are obviously very disappointed that the work has had to be postponed.”

Full statement from South Gloucestershire Council (3rd April)

With the Coronavirus situation evolving at a rapid pace, Network Rail has been regularly reviewing its contingency plans to mitigate as much risk as possible. However, following further announcements by the government and guidance from Public Health England, the planned bridge move will be rescheduled.

This work has been deferred along with a number of other schemes across the wider rail network because of Coronavirus.

The installation of the new bridge is a significant piece of engineering work that requires approximately 150 skilled workers to be on site at one time, the majority of whom would be working in a constrained area. This would make the government guidelines concerning working on construction sites extremely difficult to comply with, particularly with regard to social distancing and maintaining two metres between workers. The safety of workers and preventing the spread of Coronavirus is of utmost importance at this time.

The bridge move was scheduled to take place between 11th April and 20th April. Network Rail is now working with its stakeholders to try to identify an opportunity later in the year when it can take place. However, the project team will be guided by any future government advice or directives. We will continue to keep the community updated.

The new bridge has been successfully constructed in the Horizon 38 compound and all four pile caps (foundations for the new bridge) have also been completed. This means these elements are ready for the bridge move when we are able to continue.

The council remains committed to this important transport project which will provide a direct route between Bristol Parkway railway station, Stoke Gifford, the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood, The Mall shopping centre and will link with the wider MetroBus network.

At this time, Network Rail, and its contractors Alun Griffiths, will remain on site at Gipsy Patch Lane completing work that they are able to do whilst complying with government guidelines. This includes preparatory and highways work for when the bridge is moved into position.

We understand there is a great local interest in the CPME project but everyone should be practising social distancing to reduce the risk of spreading Coronavirus. People must follow government instructions to stay at home, avoid gatherings of more than two people and stay at least two metres away from other people. Therefore, we ask that you do not visit the construction site, including the railway bridge area, on Gipsy Patch Lane for any reason.

Photo of the east side of the existing railway bridge during the road closure in March 2020.

Photo: View of the east side of the existing railway bridge during the road closure in March 2020.

Gipsy Patch Lane and Station Road junction

Gipsy Patch Lane and the Station Road junction will remain closed so Network Rail and Alun Griffiths can continue their preparatory and highways work.

Shuttle Bus

Network Rail will continue to operate a shuttle bus for pedestrians needing to make essential journeys either side of the bridge. Further details on this service are available via the project website.

Train services

Train operating companies will be running reduced services until further notice in line with national advice against all non-essential travel.

Despite the postponement of the bridge move, the planned temporary closure of the railway between Bristol Parkway and Newport will still be going ahead from Saturday 11 April to Sunday 19 April inclusive. This is so that other planned engineering work on the railway that can be carried out within government guidelines, goes ahead. During this period, train services between Bristol and South Wales will be amended and buses will replace trains between Bristol Parkway and Newport.

If a journey is absolutely necessary, we strongly advise you to check before you travel by visiting www.GWR.com/Check or www.nationalrail.co.uk. Please note online journey planners may be amended at short notice.
Source: Stoke Gifford Journal (http://www.stokegiffordjournal.co.uk/2020/04/03/coronavirus-crisis-gipsy-patch-lane-railway-bridge-replacement-postponed/)

Edit: Shown as quote, and source credited - RS
 


Title: Re: Gipsy patch lane new bridge in North Bristol DELAYED
Post by: Red Squirrel on July 06, 2020, 17:51:44
Quote

New date announced for Gipsy Patch Lane bridge replacement

(http://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2020/06/Aerial-Photo-696x464.jpg)

A new date has been confirmed for the Gipsy Patch Lane bridge replacement work as part of the Cribbs Patchway metrobus extension (CPME).

The bridge move on Gipsy Patch Lane was due to take place over the Easter period (11 to 20 April 2020) but because of coronavirus (COVID-19) and government guidance concerning social distancing, Network Rail postponed the work along with a number of other schemes across the wider rail network.

Since this time Network Rail has continued to work hard behind the scenes with its stakeholders, contractor and supply chain to identify a new date when the Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge can be manoeuvred into position.

The bridge move on Gipsy Patch Lane will now take place between Saturday 24 October and the early hours of Saturday 7 November 2020 and will take approximately 13 days to complete.

The 13 days take into consideration the extra time needed to carry out work whilst observing the current government guidelines on coronavirus and social distancing. Network Rail are also hoping to be able to complete some of the tasks on the railway that previously would have been carried out in separate follow up shifts.

To enable the bridge replacement, which is a significant piece of engineering work, the rail line must be closed to trains for a number of days and arranging this has been a complex process that needed to take into account a range of factors, including:
• the latest coronavirus government guidance
• the availability of a wide range of critical equipment, machinery and people, including the self-propelled modular transporter (SPMT) units that will pick up and move the new bridge into position
• securing local accommodation for the 150 specialist railway engineering staff that will be working on the bridge replacement
• co-ordination with other railway projects requiring rail line closures elsewhere on the national rail network
• consultation with train operating companies and freight operating companies because a closure impacts on train services, passengers and freight movements.

Cabinet Member for Transport Cllr Steve Reade said: “We are pleased to announce these new dates for the railway bridge move on Gipsy Patch Lane. We have all watched the project progress over the last 12 months and this will be a positive step towards reaching our goal of completing such an important transport project for the area.

“CPME is a key part of our ambition to keep South Gloucestershire moving. It will bring with it many benefits including improved cycling and pedestrian facilities, a reduction in traffic and congestion, improved traffic flow on Gipsy Patch Lane and the provision of a high quality express bus service that will create a direct route between Bristol Parkway railway station, Stoke Gifford, the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood and The Mall shopping centre.

“We understand these new dates, particularly the length of closure for Gipsy Patch Lane, will bring with them an extended period of disruption. We sincerely apologise for this and would like to take this opportunity to thank the local community for their continued patience and understanding.”

These dates and timeframes may be subject to further change, for example if COVID-19 emergency restrictions had to be reimposed and safe working was not possible, and we will continue to keep the community up to date.

Ongoing work

Network Rail, and its contractors Alun Griffiths, remain on site at Gipsy Patch Lane undertaking as much work as they can prior to the bridge move whilst complying with government guidelines. Network Rail are also investigating whether some work that was not due to be carried out until after the new bridge is in place can be completed sooner.

Gipsy Patch Lane and Station Road junction

Gipsy Patch Lane and the junction with Station Road need to remain closed until after the bridge move is complete and the road beneath the bridge has been lowered. The road and junction are expected to remain closed to vehicles until approximately July 2021.

This new timeframe takes into consideration the extra time needed to carry out work whilst observing the current government guidelines on Coronavirus and social distancing.

It is not possible to reopen the road fully to all road users prior to the bridge move because of the extent of work that has already been completed. The road closure also needs to remain in place whilst Network Rail and Alun Griffiths continue with preparatory and highways work, such as the creation of the SPMT roadway.

Pedestrian access

A footpath, suitable for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists only, has been reopened under the railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane and will remain open until further notice. The footpath is narrow and pedestrians are advised to take extra care should they need to use it.

However, the footpath will need to close when the bridge move takes place in the autumn. When this happens the free shuttle bus service will be reinstated for those pedestrians needing to make essential journeys either side of Gipsy Patch Lane. We will provide advance notice to the community when the footpath needs to close.

Wider CPME project

The CPME is a £57 million investment to reduce congestion and improve journey times for all road users in your area by providing a new quick, reliable public transport system.

The council remains committed to this important transport project which will provide a direct route between Bristol Parkway railway station, Stoke Gifford, the Cribbs Patchway New Neighbourhood, The Mall shopping centre and will link with the wider metrobus network.

The new date for the bridge move will have implications for the wider CPME project. We are currently looking at the project’s programme and we will update the community when we have more information.

Further information

We will continue to keep the community up to date via social media and our website. Any updates will be posted on social media via www.facebook.com/sgloscpme and the project webpage at www.southglos.gov.uk/cpmetrobus. We would also encourage people to sign up to our project newsletter, which can be done by visiting our webpage.

People with queries concerning the construction work currently taking place on Gipsy Patch Lane should call the Network Rail 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41.
Source: South Glos Council (http://sites.southglos.gov.uk/newsroom/transport/new-date-announced-for-gipsy-patch-lane-bridge-replacement/)


Title: Re: Gipsy patch lane new bridge in North Bristol DELAYED
Post by: TonyK on July 06, 2020, 23:34:18
Is this down to the Curse of MetroBust, or just the latest run of bad luck for WRECA?



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