Humber Bridge Set To Be Closed To allow For Vital Repair Work

There will be a closure of the Humber Bridge overnight to facilitate vital maintenance work.

It will involve changing two bearings at the Hessle Tower, although the actual date depends on the weather. The work will be performed overnight one weekend in September/October.

In October, when the bridge also closed for a night, the bearings in the Barton Tower were also replaced.

As well as carrying the weight of the bridge and traffic, the bearings also allow the bridge to move according to the wind and temperature.

The reason they are being replaced is that after more than 40 years of use, the equipment has reached the end of its service life and needs to be replaced. 

Andrew Arundel, Chief Operating Officer at the Humber Bridge, said:

“Changing the bearings is a routine maintenance operation, but it is a significant undertaking that requires the road deck to be jacked up so the new bearings can be fitted into place.

“Therefore, it is not possible to have traffic using the bridge while the work is being carried out.

“The bridge will close late on a Saturday evening and is forecast to open again by 9am the next morning, ensuring the minimum possible disruption for bridge users.

“We also have a contingency plan in place for any emergency vehicles that need to use the bridge during the hours that it is closed.”

Humber Bridge Bearings Need Replacing Though Dates To Be Confirmed

Mr Arundel added that replacing the bearings at the Barton Tower had gone smoothly and the work had finished ahead of time.

“As long as the weather remains okay, we anticipate the work will go according to plan. As a result, the bridge will only be closed for a short period of time,” he said.

We will announce the precise date of the work on the Humber Bridge’s website and via social media in due course as soon as it has been confirmed.