New navigable culvert and excavation and repairs to Wade Lock. Work start on site in February 2000 and was completed in March 2001.
This scheme involves construction of a new navigable bridge on a skewed alignment under High Street, Uppermill and restoration of the adjacent Wade Lock 21W.
An initial gas main diversion was made in Summer 1999. The original plan was to build a temporary bailey bridge to enable a large excavation to the base of the original bridge foundations. The contractor has reviewed the construction methods, programme and traffic management arrangements with the intention of minimising disruption during the work. The Bailey bridge will not now be required. If any road closures are required they will be confined to single days with notice being given to local residents and traders.
High Street excavation starts. This work has established that the original bridge abutments are in good enough condition for them to be reused in the new structure.
This photo shows the original stone bridge partially exposed with the remains of the arch visible.
The stone arch has been rebuilt on a wooden former and services relaid over. The lock has been excavated. Traffic is passing the works single file on the right hand side.
Work in progress on restoring the masonry to Wade Lock. New coping stones are being laid to replaced those lost or damaged over time.
This picture shows the stone parapet wall being rebuilt at the tail of the lock.
View from the roadside as the jigsaw comes together. Note the old gate post which has been incorporated in the wall to good effect. The traffic has since been switched to run on this side of the road and excavation and piling for the new downstream concrete bridge construction has started on the other side.
Once the single file traffic had been switched to the eastbound side, excavation started for the construction of the bridge extension. However a second stone arch was found which must have been used to widen the original bridge in early years. The restored first arch is visible in the centre carrying the traffic. The remains of the second arch are visible in the left forgeround. This has subsequently been rebuilt using stone.
The second phase of road bridge construction at High Street involves the installation of a pre-cast concrete box culvert. In this view the first four units have been off loaded from the road side and are awaiting final positioning against the unit in the foreground. This is a tricky operation because of the various services which cross the site including the fibre optic cables shown here and the need to temporarily support the excavation sides.
Another view of the offloaded boxes this time looking towards the bridge.
The tall retaining wall to hold up the highway west of the bridge has required bored concrete piles tied into the ground using raking anchors. Here a drill rig and crew drill holes for the anchors.
The impressive new stone faced portal at the western end of the extended bridge. The area above the concrete units has since been made into an attractive viewing area complete with seat.
May 18th 2001. A narrowboat breasts the tape while Diggle Band play the new fanfare to commemorate the completion of restoration.
