2012

NZ2563 : 'Forth Sentinel' at Gateshead Millennium Bridge

taken 12 years ago, near to Gateshead, England

'Forth Sentinel' at Gateshead Millennium Bridge
'Forth Sentinel' at Gateshead Millennium Bridge
Welder is lowered to complete removal of the boom from the upright bollard at one end to allow removal by 'Atlas'. The deck of the bridge is just visible, top left.
Gateshead Millennium Bridge VCPS

The Gateshead Millennium Bridge Vessel Collision Protection System (VCPS) was designed to protect the bridge from ship collision.

The bollards in the river bed and their attached booms NZ2563 : Millennium Bridge View - Halfway across were never part of the original plan for the Gateshead Millennium Bridge NZ2563 : Gateshead Millennium Bridge which was designed to float above the surface of an uninterrupted river. They were insisted upon by the Port of Tyne Authority on safety grounds to prevent a ship colliding with the bridge and confining them to the deepest part of the river. As an eye-sore they were referred to locally as 'the Harbourmaster's Piles' LinkExternal link

A review of the Vessel Collision Protection System (VCPS) and predicted movements of shipping was carried out in 2009. The cost of removal was estimated at £650,000, little more than the expected cost of their continued maintenance LinkExternal link

There was no great rush to remove them, although a contract specification for tenders was released by Gateshead Council in Autumn 2010.

In February 2012, civil engineers, BAM Nuttall, started the six-week process of extracting the bridge’s vessel collision protection system. The work is expected to be finished by the end of March. The floating crane which the contractors needed to do the job was delayed on another contact in Sierra Leone. A replacement, 'Forth Atlas', arrived at the bridge on 14 February 2012, allowing work to start.

Removing the VCPS involves dismantling its 14 horizontal fenders together with their flotation units, and then extracting 16 piles from their positions deep within the river bed. This will be done using a vibration unit operated from Atlas floating crane. The remaining holes will then be filled with sand LinkExternal link


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NZ2563, 2029 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Andrew Curtis   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Thursday, 16 February, 2012   (more nearby)
Submitted
Thursday, 16 February, 2012
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NZ 2581 6396 [10m precision]
WGS84: 54:58.1758N 1:35.9021W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NZ 2584 6394
View Direction
West-northwest (about 292 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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