Bridge of nightmares! Red lights flashing at council as costs for corrosion repairs go through roof

 

'Corrosion Bridge' - are council's repair costs out of control?  

A CRUNCH  debate on the Corporation Bridge repair project is to be held next week.

With costs escalating, North East Lincolnshire councillors are increasingly fearful that the expensive scheme could become a local equivalent of the HS2 rail debacle.   

The original budget for the bridge's restoration was £4.967-million.

The Department of Transport agreed to pay the lion's share, with the council stumping up £1.83-million - about 40 per cent of the total.

The funding was approved by the cabinet in May 2020, but because of lockdown delays, work did not start until February this year.

It was hoped that the project would be completed by contractors Hull-based Spencer Engineering by the end of this year, but it was not to be.

All the while, there has been immense disruption to traffic in Grimsby, and no new target date has been set for completion.

A report seen by the Grimsby News pinpoints the reasons for the cost escalation thus:

*Price increases due to inflation, coupled with extensive unforeseen steelwork repairs being identified to the underside of the bridge

*Additional assessment and design work for replacement of steelwork components

* Hand working around Northern Powergrid cables and other items in relation to unforeseen repairs

At Wednesday evening's meeting, the cabinet  will have little choice but to approve further expenditure.

A note to members states: "Due to the extent of works required to repair and replace sections of corroded steelwork previously unforeseen, additional funding is now required to enable the full refurbishment to be completed."

The amount of extra funding sought is being kept under wraps, but, even when approved, it might not be enough.

The note continues: "Until completion of the assessment and design work for replacement of steelwork components to the underneath of the six spans of the bridge, the full extent and costs of the repairs will not be known. 

"The costs may be greater if the deterioration of the steel is worse than envisaged."

In the meantime - which gets meaner all the time - the traffic disruption will continue.

The Grimsby News says: This is an alarming situation. North East Lincolnshire Council should have insisted on greater clarity before undertaking the project. It seems to have been oblivious to the financial risks. Was there sufficient rigour in its assessment of the various quotes? The authority is already strapped for cash. Now it faces another big hit - one that could, in the worst case, bring it to its knees.  Regardless of the impact on its own reputation for competence, the losers will be precious welfare services and, of course, the long-suffering council taxpayer.