Bailey Bridges

[Peter Brydon]

Watching the floods on the news and particularly the collapse of the bridge over the river at Tadcaster, locals were complaining this morning that it was a 10 mile trip to get to the other side of the river at the moment . They also said a member of the Government who visited the area over the last few days had said that repairing the bridge was a matter of urgency and yet nothing had been done so far.

I wonder why the Royal Engineers are not brought in to erect a temporary Bailey Bridge whilst the old stone bridge is rebuilt or is that, with the cutbacks , we don't have any Royal Engineers to do the work or any Bailey Bridges that could be erected ?

P.B.

[grey_green_acorn]

I suspect that the MOD has sold all its Bailey Bridge parts! But they are available on eBay!
Postage not specified!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/70-foot-Us...UAAMXQ01tRPu5n

Tim

[Mike_2817]

The British Army replaced the Bailey Bridge with the Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) c1971, and more currently the Logistic Support Bridging System.

There is talk of a footbridge being built within weeks, but it will be a year before the road bridge is open again, in the meantime its a 16+ mile diversion via the A64

21 Engineer Regiment based at Ripon has the gear, all it needs is the order to deploy.

Elland Bridge near Halifax over the Calder is also badly damaged and closed.

[magpie]

It would probably get half taken for scrap on it's first night.

[Jim Maclean]

Originally Posted by Peter Brydon

I wonder why the Royal Engineers are not brought in to erect a temporary Bailey Bridge whilst the old stone bridge is rebuilt or is that, with the cutbacks , we don't have any Royal Engineers to do the work or any Bailey Bridges that could be erected ?

P.B.

It wouldn't take a lot of effort to put in a pedestrian pontoon bridge, that would at least help these poor people. As to whether we have the R.E.s to do the job is another matter.

The RN hasn't enough qualified personnel to take ships to sea, yet has hundreds of senior rates sitting in front of computers whilst having USCG personnel on RN ships. Exchange ratings no doubt.

[davidwyke]

Originally Posted by Mike_2817

The British Army replaced the Bailey Bridge with the Medium Girder Bridge (MGB) c1971, and more currently the Logistic Support Bridging System.

There is talk of a footbridge being built within weeks, but it will be a year before the road bridge is open again, in the meantime its a 16+ mile diversion via the A64

21 Engineer Regiment based at Ripon has the gear, all it needs is the order to deploy.

Elland Bridge near Halifax over the Calder is also badly damaged and closed.

Rumour has it that Elland bridge (which is/was a few hundred years old) is beyond repair and will have to be demolished and replaced, likely to take at least a year. I think the bridge at Copley (also near Halifax) has also collapsed.

Although, as Mike says, local army units are well placed to assist rumour also has it that the powers that be are reluctant to deploy them, no idea why; although military personnel were very much in evidence during the actual flooding.

David

[Mike_2817]

A section of 21 Engr Regt at Ripon practicing erecting a 42 metre bridge, a troop (35 men) can erect a bridge over a prepared site in less than 24 hours (Another Field Troop would prepare the river banks)



A lighter weight aluminium pedestrian bridge is in planning.