Cleveland Bridge UK makes team move to strengthen market presence

An historic bridge builder has re-established a team to develop its position in the inspection and refurbishment market.

Cleveland Bridge UK says its bridge rehabilitation team will support life extension programmes across the domestic and international bridge network, including those originally constructed by the company.

The Darlington-based business is looking to build on its depth of skills and expertise gained from more than a century of bridge building.

Its first major success has seen it appointed principal contractor on a 12-month project to inspect the Humber Bridge’s main cables.

Cleveland Bridge is already adept in the field of suspension bridge cable technology and installation, and offers a range of services including in-house design, engineering and fabrication, together with project and construction management.

Additionally, it has considerable experience of bridge strengthening, dehumidification and refurbishment work, ranging from minor repairs to extensive retrofits.

The team is led by head of operational delivery Jim Mawson, who is supported by senior business development manager Nick Lamb and construction manager Mark Dymond.

All three recently joined the company and have previously worked on several high-profile long span bridge and civil engineering projects, including the M48 Severn Bridge, the Humber Bridge, the Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing.

Work on the Humber Bridge project, which involves the inspection of eight main cable panels – each measuring 18 metres in length – began in February.

Cleveland Bridge is also delivering inspection, cable material sampling, sample preparation and associated laboratory works, which is being undertaken by its partner COWI.  

The Humber Bridge was built by the British Bridge Builders’ consortium, which included Cleveland Bridge and, when it opened in 1981, it held the record for the world’s longest spanning suspension bridge.

“This specialist team has been established to use Cleveland Bridge’s considerable breadth of skills and knowledge in this sector to grow our share of the refurbishment and rehabilitation business,” said Jim.

Managing director Chris Droogan added: “This company is famous around the globe for creating iconic bridges.

“It is fitting, given our heritage, that we are now focusing our considerable expertise to ensure these structures continue to be expertly maintained and protected for generations to come.”

Since its inception, Cleveland Bridge has built some of the world’s most iconic structures.

The group was involved in erecting the Victoria Falls Bridge and in 1911 designed Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge.

It has also supplied bridges for the widening of the A1 in North Yorkshire, and jungle and rural crossings in Sri Lanka.