Tamar Bridge works delayed
The contractor made the request to ensure all of its equipment and staff are in place
Resurfacing works on the Tamar Bridge have been pushed back.
The contractor - VolkerLaser - made the request to ensure all its specialist equipment and workforce are in place beforehand, and traffic restrictions are introduced.
They are now going ahead on 1 June 2021, rather than the original date of mid-April.
The majority of VolkerLaser's contractors are in place, but issues with visas means that work and travel arrangements for some of the 20 EU based Aeschlimann staff are still being resolved.
The company say they are confident that these issues will be overcome within the next few weeks.
The change in the start of the project means that the works will not now be completed by the end of September as originally agreed. However, VolkerLaser is committed to ensuring the resurfacing programme is delivered and that all lanes of the bridge will be re-opened before the end of 2021.
"VolkerLaser is fully committed to completing this important project this year, and we apologise for this unavoidable delay to the commencement of the works. Along with our chosen specialist surfacing subcontractor, we are working extremely hard to overcome these new challenges.
"Although works have yet to commence on the bridge, there is a lot of work being carried out off site, including surfacing and waterproofing testing and trials; this will ensure a smooth commencement to on-site works, once the visa issue is resolved.
"We have already mobilised our site set up and this is being left in place ready for works to commence in June."
Nathan Walker - VolkerLaser
VolkerLaser is one of the UK’s leading multi-disciplinary civil engineering contractors, with extensive experience of working on many types of bridge, as well as on complex bridge works.
UK-based subcontractors will be carrying out the surface planing, and deck preparation elements of the project, and VolkerLaser will carry out the steel deck repairs and waterproofing works using its own skilled labour resources.
The bridge deck surfacing operation is very highly specialised, and only a very small number of contractors around the world are able to lay the type of surfacing material being used on Tamar Bridge. VolkerLaser has therefore engaged Swiss company, Aeschlimann AG, who carried out the resurfacing of the Plymouth side span of the Tamar Bridge in 2011.