Bridges

Doncaster Council is responsible for around 615 bridges, culverts and other highway structures such as retaining walls, underpasses and footbridges.

 

We carry out general inspections every two years and principal inspections every six years on all bridges to determine their condition and maintenance requirements, passing on our recommendations to the appropriate bodies where required. These inspections involve giving each part of the bridge a score based on how serious and widespread any defects are, which generates an overall condition score that helps to prioritise spending our maintenance budget on the worst structures.

There are also 261 assets managed and maintained by organisations such as Highways England, Network Rail, the Canal and River Trust (formerly British Waterways Board) and the Environment Agency which we inspect from a public safety point of view.

We respond to emergency situations when required, such as the bridge strike on the Grade II listed Stainforth Bridge, putting in place an immediate road closure to ensure public safety, employing divers to recover the stone parapet from the river and an accredited stonemason to carry out the repairs.

Our team also acts as the Technical Approval Authority for all Highway Structures proposed by developers and council schemes. This ensures that any new structure is safe for use and fit for purpose.

We take pride in our ability to respond to ever changing demands on the road network such as helping to facilitate the Tour De Yorkshire cycle race over St. Georges bridge which we achieved by temporarily modifying the expansion joints to allow bicycles to cross.

We also actively monitor river levels on several watercourses across the borough to improve our response time to flood events.

Recent Schemes

Pasture Road Wall Repairs (Complete 21/02/20)

During the flood event in November 2019 areas of the masonry walls along Pastures Road collapsed. To avoid disruption to the network over the holiday season the works were delayed until the new year. The repairs were carried out over four weeks and were completed on 21/02/2020.

New Railway Underpass in Bessacarr (Ongoing)

During the Easter weekend Network Rail installed a new underpass beneath the railway in Bessacarr in a £3.5million investment which will help to improve safety in the area by removing the need for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders to use level crossings in the area. This underpass will serve as a link between Bessacarr and the new housing development at Warren Park.

This is a significant project with several years of planning and work has been taking place since November 2019.

Further work is now required, with the underpass set to open for use in July this year.

West Moor Drain Bridge Strengthening (Ongoing)

In 2017 we strengthened a bridge on the A614 just south-west of Hatfield Woodhouse, altering the profile of the original masonry arch and it's two corrugated steel extensions into a single structure with new steel reinforcement and a spray-concrete finish. This year we are carrying out a similar scheme on the adjacent structure which has the same arrangement. We will be going out to tender soon with two options, the sprayed-concrete and reinforcement option, or a CIPP (Cured-in-place-pipe) which involves inserting and running a felt lining into the structure and exposing resin within the liner to a curing element to make it attach to the inner walls of the structure. Once fully cured, the lining now acts as a new continuous structure within the profile of the original. 

Both of these methods are able to be carried out from within the watercourse, meaning minimal to no traffic disruption is expected throughout the duration of the scheme. 

Post Flooding Scour Inspections (Ongoing)

In response to the severe flooding experience in November 2019, we commissioned a consultant to undertake 61 underwater scour inspections. As the inspections are completed and the reports sent in we have as of yet no cause for concern on any of structures.

Flood Resilience (Ongoing)

We have identified a number structures across the borough in need of maintenance in order to better withstand a flood event. This maintenance is various and includes masonry repairs, scour protection, culvert lining or replacement. We are in the process of securing funding for these works which will allow us to deliver this maintenance over the next eight years.

 

Reporting bridge problems

To report faults or damage to bridges please contact bridges@doncaster.gov.uk or call 01302 736000 advising, if applicable:

  • the name of the bridge or road
  • the registration of any involved vehicles
  • time of incident
  • any other relevant information

All reported incidents are treated anonymously unless otherwise stated.

Alternatively fill out a web-form here:

Bridges programme of works for 2020/21

Visit the following page for details of the 2020/21 Programme of Works for bridges: Highways programme of works

 

Last updated: 02 June 2020 15:17:34