Dunheved Bridge, Devon/Cornwall
- Client: Highways Agency
- Principal designer: Benaim (UK)
- Principal contractor: Dean and Dyball
- Contract value: £3.8 million
About the project
Whole-life costings helped to decide how to prevent damage to the structural integrity of Dunheved Bridge, a busy tourist route which carries the A30 over the River Tamar.
The conventional solution was to refurbish the existing structure and protect it from water. Replacement of the decks on the bridge, however, although more expensive, has resulted in significant benefits both to the Highways Agency and the travelling public.
The replacement decks have a design life-expectancy of 120 years, while refurbishment would have required more inspection and maintenance and almost certain replacement within 20-30 years. Innovative construction methods allowed two lanes of traffic to be kept open for practically the whole construction period, with only two weeks of contraflow, instead of the more usual six months.
The new decks, although reflecting the original structure, have resulted in a lighter feeling to the bridge.
The judges said: 'A difficult project achieved without disrupting Devon and Cornwall traffic times '.