Tamar Bridge Widening

We were commissioned by Hyder Engineers in 1996 to provide design strategies and aesthetic guidance for the widening of the 1962 Tamar Bridge to facilitate pedestrian and cycle access across the Tamar, to ease local traffic connections, and accept vehicles up to 45 tonnes.

We worked closely with the Lead engineer, Jolyon Gill. The Tamar Bridge connects Devon and Cornwall, and Cornwall County and Plymouth City Councils formed a client partnership. It was originally constructed by Cleveland Bridge & Engineering Company. It has a main span of 335m and two side spans of 114m and was the longest bridge in the UK.

In the late 1990s Cleveland Bridge were also awarded the contract to strengthen and widen the bridge, with DLT providing construction methodology. The bridge was widened from 3 lanes to 5 lanes by the addition of one lane cantilevers on either side of the existing deck. Major strengthening and replacement works were carried out on the suspended superstructure and approach spans. This included the addition of eighteen new stay cables to the suspended spans, replacement of the original deck steelwork in the approach spans, replacement of the concrete deck in the suspended spans and the erection of new deck cantilever steelwork.

The bridge was open to traffic throughout the works, and the upgraded bridge completed in 2001.