As the Menai Suspension Bridge nears its bicentennial in 2026, Spencer Group has been awarded a number of contracts for its renovation. The Grade I listed structure is the second-oldest continuously used vehicular suspension bridge in the world. It connects the island of Anglesey with the UK mainland in north Wales. The bridge was built by Thomas Telford and opened in 1826.
The 417-meter-long bridge’s main span underdeck will be painted in its entirety during the first £1.5 million project. Hull-based Spencer Group is working on behalf of client UK Highways A55 Ltd. It is a PFI infrastructure company currently owned by Equitix.
In order to shoot-blast, inspect, and refinish the inaccessible main span underdeck, Spencer has created bespoke gantry platforms. Construction will start after designs are finished and environmental clearances have been granted. This is because Menai Strait is designated as a special site of scientific interest (SSSI) and a wetland region of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
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Menai Suspension Bridge project details
Spencer Group has also been contracted to reinforce the handrails on the pedestrian walkways on the approach spans. This will apply on both sides of the bridge. Preliminary designs and experiments are now being conducted. This is as the team collaborates with heritage organizations to verify designs satisfy standards appropriate for a Grade I listed structure. By the end of 2022, the projects are expected to be finished.
Spencer will also replace the majority of the hangers that support the road deck from the bridge’s main chains. The project is in its early planning stages. The team considers potential strategies for hanger replacement and off-site production of specialized components. It is slated to last the entire summer of 2023. A fourth project will involve installing an LED system and improving the street and decorative lighting on the bridge.
Early this year, survey work for the plan was finished, and Spencer has since conducted tests illuminating the bridge’s Anglesey arch. In order to create and approve the final specification for the lighting project, which will start later this year, Spencer is now working with the customer. The light installation phase will start in 2023, while a completion date has not yet been set. The most recent contracts were awarded. This was after Spencer finished a project to remove, swap out, and then resurface the footway panels on the approach spans on both sides of the bridge.
