Bridging the Gap in Local Heritage from Storm Damage
The £2 million investment from Cumbria Country Council and other funders to build a replacement footbridge across the River Kent at Gooseholme in Kendal has nearly reached completion. The council appointed Story Contracting to carry out the construction of the new bridge, with Adey Steel working as a sub-contractor throughout the duration of the project. The bridge has provided a crossing between common land at New Road and Gooseholme since 1875 but has been a victim of a number of periods of flooding within its lifetime. Installing the new structure will help bring positive change to the local community.
The original footbridge was washed away during Storm Desmond back in 2015 – which took over a hundred bridges, footpaths, and roads in its path. The new single-span bridge helped with making the area fully accessible to all users by being wider than the original bridge. Both the ramp and bridge are now 3.5m wide between parapets, offering shared access for pedestrians, cyclists, and wheelchair users. The bridge comprises a steel deck plate coated with an anti-slip surface.
Storm Desmond brought strong wind and heavy rainfall from 5th to 6th December 2015, with the worst damage seen in Cumbria. The flooding was the worst in over 500 years, with severe flooding of 5200 homes in Lancashire and Cumbria. The more frequent occurrence of flooding reveals part of the global climate crisis and shows the vulnerability of the UK’s defences. The unprecedented nature of the disaster makes flooding one of the most challenging consequences of climate change. The Environment Agency was incorporated into the design stages of the project to ensure that the bridge was flood resistant and complementary to the EA flood defence scheme already in place.
Our scope within the project involved: supply, manufacture, NDT, surface treatment, delivery, on-site assembly, and installation of the bridge structure. Due to the size of the bridge, it was split into 4 sections after trial assembly to enable delivery into the market town. Prior to installation, the bridge will be assembled onsite at Gooseholme Park.
We recognise the community value the Gooseholme Bridge project brings to the local area and are proud to have been involved. If you are interested in partnering with us on your upcoming project, submit your enquiry via email: [email protected].
