A crack has been found on Glasgow's Clyde Arc bridge just over a week after a support cable snapped.
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| The new bridge across the Clyde cost more than £20m to build |
The £20m crossing, known locally as the Squinty Bridge,
was closed while repairs were ongoing and the crack was found during an
inspection.
It is expected that it will be closed for six months,
rather than a couple of weeks as had been initially anticipated by
engineers.
The River Clyde has now also been shut to all traffic travelling below it.
Glasgow City Council said that the crack was found in a similar component to the one which failed and was removed last week.
Impact unclear
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| The cables are an integral part of the bridge structure |
Though the bridge was designed to allow for the removal
of one of these supports, the impact of the failure of the second is
still unclear.
The cable, one of 14 which supports the newest bridge over the River Clyde, came crashing down on 14 January.
Designers Halcrow and civil engineering contractor
Edmund Nuttall Ltd, who built the bridge, are investigating the cause
of the problems.
The bridge between Finnieston and Pacific Quay opened in 2006 and is still under contractor guarantee.
The structure, which spans 140m, is a tied arch design,
carrying four traffic lanes. One lane in each direction is reserved for
public transport and there are pedestrian and cycle paths.
Running at an angle across the water, it was the first
new road bridge over the river to be built since 1969 when it was built
at a cost of £20.3m.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said public safety was its number one priority and apologised for the inconvenience.
"The bridge was closed last week following the failure
of a steel component that connected one of the hangers to the arch," he
added.
"The casting that failed has been taken away for
inspection and testing and the council, constructors and designers are
still awaiting the results of this.
"In the course of an inspection today, a crack was found in another similar connector on a different hanger.
"The council has, as a precautionary measure, requested
that all river traffic below the bridge be suspended until further
notice."
Source : BBC News
