Victorian engineering is playing its part in ensuring that Northampton traffic keeps moving, with the opening of a new bridge guaranteed to bolster commuter confidence for another century!
Cottingham Road overbridge in Northamptonshire carries traffic and pedestrians across the Midland mainline.
However, the Victorian structure, originally built in the late 19th or early 20th century, had reached the end of its natural life and was also unsuited to Network Rail’s wider plans for line electrification.
Engineer Nick Chia takes up the story: “Electrification requires that bridges are of a certain height but the existing masonry arch structure at Cottingham Road was not high enough. However, due to the nature of its construction, it was not simply a case of raising the height. Instead the entire bridge had to be demolished and replaced with a Network Rail standard concrete arch bridge.”
The line was closed for 72 hours whilst Amco contractors, supported by HBPW engineers, carried out the replacement work.
“The original Victorian abutments were utilised, enabling the two ends of the new structure to ‘sit’ on part of the old bridge. The new structure has a design life of 120 years so I think it is safe to say that the bridge will be there long after I’m gone!”