Gull Wing Bridge
Lowestoft Harbour - the bridge will cross between the two buildings on the right
Coordinates52°28′26″N 1°43′59″E / 52.474°N 1.733°E / 52.474; 1.733
OS grid referenceTM536928
CarriesVehicles (A12 Road)
Pedestrians
CrossesLake Lothing
Lowestoft to Norwich line
East Suffolk line
LocaleLowestoft, Suffolk
BeginsDenmark Road
Peto Way (north)
EndsWaveney Drive (south)
Other name(s)Lake Lothing Third Crossing
Named forA gull's wings
OwnerSuffolk County Council
Websitegullwingbridge.co.uk
Characteristics
DesignArup
Bam Nuttall
Design Council Cabe
Total length342m
Width22m (maximum)
Height62m (when open)
No. of spans8
Piers in water2
Clearance below12 metres (39 ft)
(High water)
6 metres (20 ft)
(Railway)
No. of lanes2 Vehicle Lanes
Shared Use Footway/Cycle Way
Design life120 Years
History
Constructed byFarrans Construction
Fabrication byVictor Buyck Steel Construction
Construction start22 March 2021
Construction cost£148 million (projected)
Opening2024
Location

Gull Wing Bridge is a road bridge being built to span Lake Lothing in the town of Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, which is claimed to be (once completed) the largest rolling bascule bridge in the world lifted using hydraulic cylinders.[1] The bridge is planned to be completed and open to traffic in early 2024. [2]

The bridge will be higher than the existing bascule bridge at the harbour mouth, and so will not need to be lifted up as often for shipping to pass underneath. The idea of a third bridge in the area was first suggested in 1918, and approval for the Lake Lothing Third Crossing was granted in 2020. It was renamed Gull Wing Bridge after a competition for names being held at local schools.

History

The lifting Bridge at the eastern end of Lake Lothing in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England, is raised several times a day to allow boats access and egress to the harbour, and the North Sea. This hampers the traffic system meaning it can take an hour to drive from the south side of town to the north side.[3] It has been estimated that the lifting bascule bridge carries 14,000 vehicles a day.[4] The second bridge is upstream at Oulton Broad, and is known as Mutford Bridge; the distance between the two existing bridges is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi).[5] A third crossing was first mooted in 1918, just after the First World War ended.[6] A total of three moving bridges have been built at the eastern end of Lake Lothing where the water falls into the North Sea; the current bascule lifting bridge was installed in 1972.[7]

The approval to build the £94 million Gull Wing Bridge was granted in April 2020, but by August of 2020, costs had risen to £148 million through delays, the Covid-19 pandemic, and a desire to have a contingency fund "...should any unforeseen issues arise and caters for any further complications caused by coronavirus".[8]

Gull Wing Bridge

The preparatory works for the bridge started in January 2021, with the official groundbreaking on 22 March 2021,[9] after an unexploded ordnance survey was undertaken in the stretch of water beneath the bridge's location.[10] The bridge will straddle the inner harbour, and connect Denmark Road and Peto Way on the north bank, with Waveney Drive on the south bank.[6] Originally tendered to BAM Nuttall, the contract to build the bridge fell through and was re-tendered to Farrans.[11]

Road Access to the bridge from the south will be along the B1351 (Waveney Drive), which has access to the A1117 road in the west, and the A12 road in the east. On the northern side, the road will access the A12 road, and the A47 road, as well as the A1114 road through either Denmark Road or Peto Way.[12] The design of the bridge includes a foot and cycle path on both sides, with a single-lane of traffic in each direction (north/south) with a maximum speed limit of 30 MPH.[13]

Some of the piles for the bridge foundations will be up to 60 metres (200 ft) below ground level.[14] The height of the bridge above high water will be 12 metres (39 ft),[15] and at the northern end will have a 6-metre (20 ft) clearance above the railway line into Lowestoft station.[16] Whilst the space between the two main spans in the water will be 35 metres (115 ft), safety features fitted to the span walls will limit this to a maximum width of 32 metres (105 ft).[17] The Gull Wing Bridge will be at a greater height above the water level than the existing bascule bridge at the eastern end of Lake Lothing; because of this, it is hoped the bridge will not be needed to be raised as many times per day, thereby causing less disruption to traffic.[18] The design calls for a lifting section in the middle, which will raise southwards to allow ships to pass underneath.[19] A traffic assessment indicated that approximately 10,000 vessels will need to go past the point of the bridge (10% less than the bascule bridge at the harbour mouth), but that the bridge will only need to be raised for 25% of the traffic passing.[20]

The name of the bridge was decided upon after a local schools competition, and pupils from Somerleyton Primary School described the style of the bascule bridge posts as looking like a gull's wings.[21]

Construction Timeline

February 2021 - Preparation works began [22]

April 2021 - Construction began [22]

June 2021 - Land piling works began [22]

July 2021 - Marine piling works began [23]

May 2022 - Colin Law Way access road opened [24]

September 2021 - Waveney Drive junction is closed to all traffic [25]

August 2022 - Piling for the bridge piers complete [26]

October 2022 - Installation of first steel deck section (Northern Approach Viaduct 1) (NAV1) [27]

November 2022 - Formal opening of Colin Law Way [28]

January 2023 - Completion & Reopening of Waveney Drive Roundabout/Dual Carriageway [29]

March 2023 - Denmark Road closes to all traffic [30]

Construction of the Northern Approach

March 2023 - Control tower structure built to full height

April 2023 - Installation of steel sections for NAV2 and NAV3, completing the Northern Approach [31]

May 2023 - Installation of Southern Approach Viaducts (SAV) 1 - 4, completing the Southern Approach [32]

--

November 2023 - Planned Opening of Northern Approach Roundabout & Improvements to Denmark Road [33]

Early 2024 - Installation of main lifting bascule span [34]

2024 - Planned Bridge Opening [35]

Reclassification of Roads

The new bridge will become part of the A12 road. Plans include reclassifying several other A and B roads to reflect the new primary route through the town.

  • B1531 (Waveney Drive from Tom Crisp Roundabout to the new Gull Wing Southern Roundabout) will become part of the A12
  • The Gull Wing Bridge and associated approach ramps will be designated part of the A12
  • Peto Way will become part of the A12
  • The A1117 (Peto Way & Millennium Way) will become part of the A12

Other classification changes include the A1117 (Normanston Drive, Bridge, Road and Saltwater Way) becoming part of the A146.[36][37]

References

  1. ↑ Kanaris, Sotiris (21 October 2022). "Future of Bridges | Lowestoft's record-breaking, congestion-busting bascule bridge". New Civil Engineer. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "Update on Gull Wing construction works affecting Denmark Road, Lowestoft". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  3. ↑ Humphrys, John (23 March 2015). "Election essay: The town that's used to being disappointed". BBC News. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Arminas, David. "Second bascule bridge for Lowestoft". World Highways. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Surl et al. 2018, p. 40.
  6. 1 2 Boggis, Mark (1 January 2021). "Town's new £126m bridge will bring 'enormous benefits'". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  7. ↑ "Lake Lothing: Crossings - Hansard - UK Parliament". hansard.parliament.uk. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  8. ↑ "Lowestoft: Third crossing costs increase by £54m". BBC News. 17 August 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  9. ↑ Boggis, Mark (23 March 2021). "'A reality': £126.75m Gull Wing bridge marks the start of work". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Boggis, Mark (8 June 2021). "Work to start on new access road as part of Gull Wing third crossing". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  11. ↑ "Farrans agrees £76m price for new Lowestoft bridge". The Construction Index. 30 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  12. ↑ "The Lake Lothing (Lowestoft) Third Crossing Order 201[*]" (PDF). infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. June 2018. p. 2. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  13. ↑ "Lake Lothing Third Crossing" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  14. ↑ Boggis, Mark (29 July 2021). "'Awe-inspiring' progress on £126.75m Gull Wing third crossing". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  15. ↑ "Lake Lothing Third River Crossing" (PDF). broads-authority.gov.uk. 2018. p. 2. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  16. ↑ Surl et al. 2018, p. 55.
  17. ↑ Horne 2021, p. 9.
  18. ↑ "Farrans wins £76m contract to build Lake Lothing third crossing in UK". World Construction Network. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  19. ↑ "Lake Lothing Third Crossing" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. p. 5. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  20. ↑ Horne 2021, p. 19.
  21. ↑ "Lowestoft's third river bridge gets county council approval". BBC News. 26 August 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  22. 1 2 3 "Construction". gullwingbridge.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  23. ↑ https://gullwingbridge.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Marine-Construction-Guide.pdf
  24. ↑ "New access road unveiled as £126.75m bridge works continue". Lowestoft Journal. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  25. ↑ "Notification of Waveney Drive closure for construction works". gullwingbridge.co.uk. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  26. ↑ "Log into Facebook". Facebook. Retrieved 1 April 2023. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  27. ↑ Gerrard, Neil (25 October 2022). "Photos | Farrans installs first section of 'Gull Wing' bridge". Construction Management. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  28. ↑ "'Fitting legacy': Family unveil Colin Law Way at £126.75m third crossing". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  29. ↑ "Waveney Drive in Lowestoft to re-open". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  30. ↑ "Busy Lowestoft road to be closed for Gull Wing bridge construction". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  31. ↑ "Major steel structures arrive for Gull Wing bridge". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "Gull Wing Bridge". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 1 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "Update on Gull Wing construction works affecting Denmark Road, Lowestoft". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Update on Gull Wing construction works affecting Denmark Road, Lowestoft". Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  35. ↑ "Lowestoft Gull Wing completion delayed until 2024". BBC News. 21 August 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
  36. ↑ "The Lake Lothing (Lowestoft) Third Crossing Order 2020". Legislation.gov.uk.
  37. ↑ "Lake Lothing Third Crossing | National Infrastructure Planning". infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2022.

Sources

  • Horne, Stephen (February 2021). Lake Lothing Third Crossing (PDF). gullwingbridge.co.uk (Report). Suffolk County Council. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  • Surl, Rob; Baker, Ian; Diver, Thomas; Santhakumar, R (June 2018). Lake Lothing Third Crossing Business Case (PDF). infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk (Report). Retrieved 23 November 2021.
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