Spencer Group sets to work on the Menai Suspension Bridge in Wales

Now, Hull-based engineering firm Spencer Group is about to begin work on restoring the Menai Suspension Bridge.

A Spencer Group team will carry out major works to remove, replace and then resurface almost all of the footway panels on the approach spans on both sides of the iconic Grade I listed bridge, the second oldest operational vehicular suspension bridge in the world.

Working on behalf of client UK Highways A55 Ltd, Spencer Group will begin the works on the 417-metre-long structure in January. The project is estimated to run for 23 weeks.

The Menai Suspension Bridge project is the latest prestigious bridges renovation contract secured by Spencer Group and underscores the company’s growing reputation for working on historic crossings.

It began work recently to refurbish and rebuild the 200-year-old Union Chain Bridge, the only operational suspension bridge in the world that pre-dates, by just six years, the Menai Suspension Bridge.

Spencer Group was appointed by Northumberland County Council to dismantle the historic crossing over the River Tweed, linking England and Scotland, and complete the rebuild and refurbishment to mark its bicentenary. The Union Chain Bridge project is due to be completed in December 2021.

Luke Fisher, sector lead for bridges and structures at Spencer Group, said: “The Menai Suspension Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in the world and is another prestigious project to add to our portfolio.

“It builds on our acknowledged capability in the refurbishment of landmark and historic crossings and we are very proud that we will be working simultaneously on major maintenance projects on the world’s two oldest operational suspension bridges.

“Early contractor involvement on the Menai Suspension Bridge project meant we began working with UK Highways A55 Ltd three months before we were awarded the contract, building a strong working relationship with the client and helping to establish the most efficient methodology for the works.”

The Menai Strait is protected as a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a wetland area of international importance area under the Ramsar Convention. Because of these environmental protections, Spencer Group has developed specific measures to contain all construction work and materials fully on the bridge and avoid any spillage into the water below.

Mr Fisher added: “The Menai Suspension Bridge is covered by highly stringent environmental constraints and, of course, it’s of paramount importance that we take the greatest care with the fabric of this iconic structure.

“We’re used to working within extremely tight restrictions on our bridge projects, but this is an exceptionally strict example. It’s just another challenge that we will overcome as we deliver the works.”

The Spencer Group team will use complex rope access methods, often operating over the side and underneath the bridge deck, 30m above the Menai Strait. Each footway of the Menai Suspension Bridge will be closed while work takes place, with pedestrians using the opposite path during this time.

Other current Spencer Group projects also include an £18m maintenance programme on Erskine Bridge, which spans the River Clyde near Glasgow. Last year, Spencer Group also completed a £10m project to complete repair works which followed a fracture that caused the closure of the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh.