Dunfermline Press | News | Panels posed threat to bridge traffic

Thursday, 4th December, 2008

Published: Thursday, 21st February, 2008 09:50

Panels posed threat to bridge traffic

TRAFFIC on the Forth Road Bridge could have been hit by flying floor panels weighing 35kg after storm damage to a painting platform above the carriageway.

The bridge was closed to all traffic shortly after 8am on 9th January because of the faulty platform and fears the panels could smash onto vehicles below.

And bridgemaster Barry Colford says it’s likely that the completion of the painting of the bridge’s two main towers will be delayed as an investigation is carried out.

Both towers were being painted with a protective overcoat in an bid to protect them for a further 25 years and this is due for completion in October 2009.

Now, members of the Forth Estuary Transport Authority (Feta) will be advised this could now be pushed back to 2010.

Mr Colford said the American purpose-built platform had previously withstood gusts of 91mph during Hogmanay 2006 and was designed to withstand wind speeds of 125mph.

However, the strongest gust on 9th January, when the damage was done and the rig just 34 metres up, was 81mph.

The rig was even inspected on 8th January after forecasts for high winds and the bridge was closed to all vehicles except cars just after midnight.

Just after 8am there was a report of “something hanging from the platform” and it became obvious that part of the floor panels were missing.

A report prepared for Feta’s meeting tomorrow (Friday) states, “When it was realised that the panels, weighing 35kg, were capable of being carried by the wind outwith the area of the dropped object canopy, the decision was taken to close the bridge in the interests of safety.

“Despite several attempts during short lulls in the storm in the afternoon, the high winds prevented any possibility of maintenance crews securing the remaining floor sections.

“It was late afternoon until the platform could be secured, remaining floor sections tied down and debris removed from the dropped object canopy.

“Following a safety inspection, the bridge was opened at 6.10pm.”

The 10-hour bridge closure caused travel chaos for Fifers and they faced huge detours as roads around the Kincardine Bridge and Stirling became grid-locked.

The cause of the failure of the floor panels and their connections will be the focus of an investigation to be carried out by an independent specialist engineering consultant.

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