Spencer Group has been praised for its work to completely refurbish and rebuild one of the world’s oldest suspension bridges.
The bridge specialist has completed a programme of essential works to preserve Union Chain Bridge linking England and Scotland, which is more than 200 years old.
The crossing over the River Tweed from Horncliffe in Northumberland to Fishwick in Berwickshire has a single span of 137 metres and was the longest wrought iron suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1820.
It remains the world’s oldest suspension bridge still carrying traffic and is both a Grade I listed building in England and a Grade A listed building in Scotland. It is credited with being a catalyst for bridge innovation, influencing the design of many other famous structures.
Hull-based Spencer Group, which was appointed by Northumberland County Council to dismantle the bridge and carry out a complete refurbishment and rebuild, said a key element of the project was to ensure modifications were in keeping with the historical significance of the bridge.
This included restoring, rather than replacing, the suspension chains and using the same type of stone to repair masonry work on the bridge’s two towers.
Ted Cawthorne, honorary treasurer of the Friends of the Union Chain Bridge, said: ‘It’s been an incredible job by Spencer Group and we’re absolutely delighted to have the bridge back. It’s a vital link between the communities on either side.
‘It looks wonderful and even more elegant than it did before. There are some differences that have been made during the restoration, with some necessary modern interventions, but that’s just a sign of this remarkable bridge moving with the times.
‘The remarkable thing is that many of the original components are still intact, which means they will be 350-400-years-old by the time it might need another restoration.’
Joe DiMauro, engineering director for Spencer Bridge Engineering, said: ‘It’s been a privilege and an honour for us to carry out this crucial heritage project to preserve such a historical structure for future generations.
‘It’s been a long journey, from the initial planning through to removing the whole structure, refurbishing all the components, and completely rebuilding it.’
The bridge is only accessible to one vehicle at a time due to its restricted width. It previously had a weight restriction of two tonnes but, following the restoration and rebuild, this has been increased to three tonnes.
Spencer Group also remodelled the English and Scottish approach roads to incorporate parking for visitors to the bridge, which is accessible to both vehicles and pedestrians and is a popular tourist attraction.
