Isambard Kingdom Brunel Grade II listed bridge which forms part of Windsor Viaduct in Berkshire, is being given a new lease of life thanks to the 21st engineering skills of HBPW.
Opened in 1849, Windsor Railway Bridge is a wrought iron ‘bow and string’ bridge and as well as being one of the British engineer’s masterpieces – it is the World’s oldest wrought iron bridge still in regular service – it is also in eye shot of HM the Queen’s London residence at Windsor!
Paul Withers of HBPW, said: “In the normal course of bridge assessments, Network Rail considered that certain elements of the structure had deteriorated as a result of corrosion, and needed strengthening to cope with the on-going demands of rail traffic using the line. The existing timber deck also needed replacing as part of the project.”
HBPW completed the drawings whilst AMCO Rail Ltd is carrying out the work.
The entire structure has been encapsulated in scaffolding which, in turn, has been covered with a membrane, so that the structure can also be grit blasted and re-painted.
The bridge, which is a single-span structure comprising three bowstring trusses, carries the ex-GWR branch line from Slough to Windsor into Windsor and Eton Central station. It crosses the River Thames on the reach between Romney Lock and Boveney Lock and was Grade II listed in 1975.