More info on Redcliffe Bridge and the firm that had been contracted to do the work:
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Bridge projects in limbo as Cleveland Bridge heads for administration
22 JUL, 2021 BY ROB HORGAN
Councils and infrastructure clients across the country will have woken up to the news that its contractor Cleveland Bridge is heading for administration.
The news broke last evening, when Cleveland Bridge issued a statement confirming that all of its 230 employees had been informed that they faced redundancy.
The statement adds: “HR1 notices have been registered and all 230 staff have been informed about potential redundancies. We are actively taking advice and looking at all opportunities.”
Administrators have also reportedly been called in to start the formal process.
What it means for ongoing projects remains to be seen, with Cleveland Bridge contracted to work on some iconic structures around the country.
Newport Transporter Bridge
Newport City Council appointed Cleveland Bridge to undertake restoration work on the Newport Transporter Bridge 115 years after the firm finished work on building the structure.
The Grade I listed structure – one of only six remaining transporter bridges in the world – was opened in 1906 and its 197m span carries traffic across the River Usk in South Wales in a gondola.
Cleveland Bridge constructed the bridge and was due to carry out work under the latest contract awarded in February.
Work needs to be carried out on the gondola bridge’s cross beams and anchorage housing, as well as replacing rotting timbers and worn anchor pins and cables on the main booms.
The restoration of the bridge began in March but is not scheduled to be complete until the start of next year.
Bristol lifting bridge
Cleveland Bridge recently won the contract to carry out a “substantial refurbishment” of Bristol’s Redcliffe Bridge.
Bristol City Council ringfenced £3M towards the project last year, after a 2016 report conclude that repairs were “urgently required”.
The bridge is part of the floating harbour in Bristol, linking Redcliffe Way to the city centre. It was constructed in 1942, and in 1996 underwent a major electrical and control system refit.
However, the bridge’s condition has since deteriorated, with repairs needed to the bridge’s structure, deck and opening machinery.
The scope of work includes refurbishment of the internal steelwork and bridge parapet, water proofing of the bridge deck, and mechanical and electrical modifications including the removal of the existing gates and machinery and replacing them with rising arm barriers.
Jacobs has also been brought in as design consultants and work was earmarked to take place this summer, pending design approval.
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/bridge-projects-in-limbo-as-cleveland-bridge-heads-for-administration-22-07-2021/Struggling structural steel firm Cleveland Bridge claimed up to £250,000 in furlough payments in the months leading up to its collapse, government records show.
Records from HMRC show that Cleveland Bridge UK▸ Limited, which employs 221 people, claimed between £125,005 and £250,000 in furlough payments to cover staff who were unable to work for the five months between December 2020 to April 2021.
HMRC data shows that between £25,001 and £50,000 per month had been claimed by Cleveland Bridge UK, however the employment support was not enough to save the business.
Details of furlough claims prior to December have not been published, while claims made after April have not yet been released by HMRC. It is not known if Cleveland Bridge applied for any other coronavirus support from the government.
Cleveland Bridge has been known as one of the leading specialists in its field, working on major projects such as Wembley Stadium, the Queensferry Crossing, the Shard and also as one of the original co-designers of the famous Sydney Harbour Bridge.
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https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/cleveland-bridge-claimed-up-to-250k-in-furlough-cash-prior-to-administration-23-07-2021/
