Originally opened in 1961, the Tamar Bridge is a 335m long suspension bridge, spanning the River Tamar between Saltash, Cornwall and Plymouth, Devon. VolkerLaser was contracted by the joint authorities of the Cornwall Council and Plymouth City Council, to undertake essential resurfacing works to the main bridge deck. The existing surface, which is more than 20 years old, was nearing the end of its serviceable life, and needed to be replaced, to ensure the safety of people using the bridge.

The project has included resurfacing the toll plaza area and the bridge approaches, and the replacement of all six of the bridge movement joints, as well as resurfacing the three lanes on the bridge deck and both cantilevers.

This involved carrying out a series of highly complex procedures in sequence. After removing 949 tonnes of existing surface material using a road planer, the teams then applied 1,920kg of primer to the deck. Two layers of waterproofing - 8,500m² – were then applied, to provide vital corrosion protection to the steel deck plates. Two thin layers of the surfacing material were then also applied, before the final process of laying the road markings was carried out.

Welcoming the re-opening of all traffic lanes, Councillors Jonathan Drean and Martin Worth, the Joint Chairs of the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, commented that:

“Everyone had worked very hard to complete the project as quickly as possible while meeting the high standards required.”

VolkerLaser’s project manager, Nathan Wakfer, said: “The completion of the resurfacing works at Tamar is a culmination of weeks of hard work from the site team, with all of them going above and beyond when needed, to get this project over the line. Another success of the project has been in the close relationship which has been built between the client and ourselves – a great example of collaborative working. The whole team deserve recognition for a job well done.”

VolkerLaser’s site manager, Andy Smith, added: “The team has worked tirelessly over the last few months to complete the resurfacing works. It’s been a pleasure working on such an iconic structure, and despite some challenges throughout, the exceptional Considerate Constructors Scheme score, and being able to hand back the site, over two weeks ahead of programme, is the icing on the cake.”