Forums Forums Street News 4 bridges completion delay

No doubt there are penalty clauses in the contract but if you try to enforce them then the contractor hits back on the "extra" charges:- work carried out that wasn't covered by the original contract. Many contracts are qoted at cost (or even a loss) to get the competitive edge but the contractor knows that there will be extras to make his profit from, unplanned work usually having a premium charge.

This practice was prevalent when public departments found a "cosy" contractor that they preferred to deal with which sometimes helped them use money from different budgets or different budget years. No idea if the above is still practiced but I can't see it having died out completely.

The streetworks overrun charges were to stop the practice of many utility companies digging holes then going on and doing other work sometimes leaving disruption behind them for many months.

I went to have a look at the birkenhead side of where the orange bridge is to go. I was expecting large scale landscaping and the extension of the cycleway now built nearly on the wallasey side, they have infact done nothing. Honestly not one thing, the entrance to twelve quays is still the same, the uneven footpaths on both sides still the same. Words fail me in the councils ineptitude.

This whole thing is one big joke, the Council are saying there are rises in the coming Council tax bill and then you look at the money wasted, they got £1.2 million from Eurpoe three years ago to do a cycle land along Beauford road to link up to the railway station at the bottom, [sorry gone right out of my head], anyway they put tons of soil there for grass and that was it, no marking for the cyclist [ do they ever use them? ] trucks drive over the grass and turn it into mush, it rains and fills with water. I watched workmen spreading bitumen topping on to smooth pavements the other day IN Seacombe, yet a few yards passed this the flags are all over the place, would these ever be repaired?
Going over by the four bridges road today they have also removed the old railway crossing and footbridge, but the traffic at rush hour is just silly when will the bridge be open? and is there a crane big enough to lift the new one in place?

The floating crane is being brought in from Europe, it would have been here last week but I presume the weather has put that back. Its a bit annoying that Birkenhead used to specialise in having big floating cranes, another specialism that has wasted away from the area.

Planning permission has just gone in to do with some dock walls, I'm not sure if it was in connection with the bridge, I've not read it yet

I thought the Beaufort Road cycle markings had been done?

Wasn't the soil for the tree lined avenue look that Peel Holdings were trying to get the credit for, even though it wasn't their money that was paying for it?

I had a thought the other day, that as the Council was doing all this work along the road, and taking away the old railway bridge etc, the last thing they needed was the traffic flowing though, so hold back on the bridge till the road works are finshed then lift the bridge into place, open to traffic?
Or am i watching too many X=Files programmes! Its coming up to nearly tens months since the start of the work.

Rode passed on Friday 16th, I see this walkway/cycle route is being topped with red paving brick, so the Council was going for the quick cheap option here!

The cheaper option would be tarmac.

Jumping form one bridge to the other, i see the Council have been busy again, this time on Duke street bridge, on the Birkenhead side they have painted white road markings on one side of the road, at first i thought these where cycle lane markings but lookng last night they seem to be something to keep the traffic in a single file as you drive over the bridge!
But what i want to know is where are all the big HGV's going to wait, as most nights they used to be two or three rigs parked there, [ unless they have moved them else where!] my moan is they can spend time and money like this but fail to fix broken street lights or fill pot holes!

Noticed Thursday men working on the bridge, No! Its no lie, men were working on the bridge, but as its now April 1st, the date has passed for it to be finished by March then!
When you think of the time to build the Forth Railway bridge, and the length of time to do our little one do you think having a name like Four/Forth has something to do with the delays?

I spoke with one of the construction crew earlier this week. He said the bridge is scheduled to be lifted into place on the 28th April and finishing work should be completed about a week after that, so expect the route to open mid May. (Which year he meant, I have no idea).

Thanks for sharing

They certainly seem to be doing some landscaping along the dock rd by the mills. A coat of paint on the bridge too. Wonder how the Duke St work will pan out, they've certainly ruined Duke Street as a thoroughfare.

Time to ready my drones for footage!!!

One can hear the music begin as you start your drones, Ride of the Valkyries by Wagner

What the hell has the Council done to Duke street Bridge road?, laying that silly cycle lane stuff down, no one uses cycle lanes, fill the pot holes in!

What the hell has the Council done to Duke street Bridge road?, laying that silly cycle lane stuff down, no one uses cycle lanes, fill the pot holes in!


Ermm... I use the cycle lanes on Duke St (at least whilst the Four Bridges are closed) and I pay council tax too. Not that they're much use as some bugger always parks in them especially the stretch near Park station.