South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 04/04/2014

The council has commissioned the ‘advanced composite’ bridge to replace the existing road bridge on Church Road, Frampton Cotterell, which is coming to the end of its useful life.

The bridge will be one of the first in the UK to be made from layers of glass and carbon fibres bound together with a tough resin in a process more commonly seen in advanced passenger aircraft manufacturing.

The materials used are resistant to frost, extreme temperatures and de-icing salts that can cause problems in steel and concrete bridges, and require no painting or waterproofing. It is estimated that this could reduce the bridge’s maintenance costs by up to 35 per cent over its lifetime.

They are also much lighter than conventional materials, meaning that the bridge can be installed in roughly half the time of a conventional structure, reducing disruption for local residents and businesses.

Deputy Chair of the council’s Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Committee Cllr Pat Hockey said: “The Church Road bridge is one of a number of major investments we are making in South Gloucestershire this year in our road and cycle networks.

“When it was decided the bridge needed replacing, we wanted to invest in something that would bring the most benefit to residents and road users. The new bridge will have lower maintenance costs and can be installed in half the time, which is great news for local people.”

The council has worked with international design and engineering firm Atkins, specialist bridge designer and manufacturer CTS Bridges, and leading projects firm, Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM), to develop the new bridge which will be pre-built in a factory before assembly.

The entire bridge deck will then be transported in one piece to Frampton Cotterell for installation during the school holidays when traffic volumes are lower.

Vehicles will be diverted via Yate and Iron Acton during the works which will be taking place from 7 April for three weeks and from 28 July for six weeks. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the route via a temporary footbridge downstream of the existing bridge.