M20 CLOSED Kent. Footbridge collapse (2 Viewers)

[Wagoneer]

This footbridge was probably built about 40years ago before the clearances for footbridges were subsequently raised following numerous hits.

The current standard for major bridge crossings is a minimum clearance of about 5.2m across all carriageways (including hard shoulder). This allows for future resurfacing work.

The minimum clearance for footbridges was raised to 5.5m and may now even be 5.7/5.8m according to current standards.

The footbridge in question had been closed to foot traffic for 2 years pending refurbishment works. Obviously the Highways Agency were concerned about the integrity of this footbridge and the disaster that happened today just reinforces their concerns.

It's very easy to be critical with hindsight but this 40+ year old footbridge should have been condemned and demolished for the safety of the travelling public, in my view.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

Digger arms must be chained down to stop them jacking upwards with bumps, the lorry is described as a flatbed as against a lowloader so that has added 2 foot + before anything else, the bridge is a sloping down from the other side and that may be lower than normal so a coming together of the unstoppable and the immovable .

 

[Minxy]

The footbridge in question had been closed to foot traffic for 2 years pending refurbishment works. Obviously the Highways Agency were concerned about the integrity of this footbridge and the disaster that happened today just reinforces their concerns.

It's very easy to be critical with hindsight but this 40+ year old footbridge should have been condemned and demolished for the safety of the travelling public, in my view.

Looks like the digger has done them a favour and started the demolishing job! That'll give the HA the excuse to remove the rest of the bridge and not replace it, and has obviously saved them money on refurbishing it which they obviously had no intention of doing if it's been closed for 2 years.

What will be interesting is to see WHO is ultimately blamed for this ... IF the bridge was lower than is required nowadays it would be difficult to say it was the flatbed driver at fault unless there was a warning sign on the bridge itself about this ... if the bridge was at the minimum height and the digger arm was too high then obviously it WAS his fault BUT even then as there's a sign gantry just before the bridge (which he doesn't appear to have hit) that could have obscured the view of the bridge, and possibly any warning signs, it would be difficult IMV to put all of the blame on the flatbed driver ...

... off back to the lab now ... (aka Ms Sidle)

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[Doctor Dave]

I wasn't there and didn't see what happened so I will not speculate.

However there was a radio report suggesting that a lorry hit an obstruction on the carriageway which lifted the lorry up so that it hit the bridge.

Dave

 

[simsy56]

After seeing the photos, I suspect the boom of the digger on the low loader may have nudged the bridge, certainly not at speed because the excavator is relatively unmoved on the trailer.
It had come this far, why should it collide with this bridge? I have driven low loaders and huge amounts of heavy plant and I have never ever known any hydraulic system start to 'raise' due to jolting on the road, so I don't buy that. Machinery has to be chained down, and the arm of a digger especially, because they could possibly 'slew' when being transported.
The boom arm of the digger is slightly higher than the standard box trailer that took the brunt of this accident, so I don't think for one minute the box trailer caused any of this. Just my view..........

Craig..... news at half nine..... on the IOM, now back to the studio...............

 

[hilldweller]

Is this the place ?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3...4!1s-czxxLscXdWbA5_UlyGeJg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

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[Gromett]

Is this the place ?

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3...4!1s-czxxLscXdWbA5_UlyGeJg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That looks like it.. If that is the case the bridge doesn't drop too much in height over the hard shoulder. Also explains why the other side didn't collapse as well.

Looks like something either raised the lorry or the arm on the excavator was too high? No idea. All seems very strange. No one has been charged though.

 

[shawn&emma]

If the arm of the digger hit the bridge I would of thought that the force it would of hit it at would of ripped the arm from the digger.

I'm with you on this one. Surely the force would have ripped the digger from the trailer.

Shawn

 

[hilldweller]

Also explains why the other side didn't collapse as well.

There is a joint where it parted, little stress on the high side. By comparison, it looks very frail on the low side.

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[GWAYGWAY]

Warning hatching on the other side of the motorway for the high side of the bridge but not for the low side where the accident happened,
seems a bit odd there.

 

[Minxy]

Warning hatching on the other side of the motorway for the high side of the bridge but not for the low side where the accident happened, seems a bit odd there.

I think the hatched area is a red herring - it's more likely to be to keep you away from the support pillar which is much closer to the motorway on that side.

This view is interesting - you can clearly see that the footbridge is lower on the (south) side where it was hit, whether it's lower than the sign gantry I don't know as I'm not skilled in trigonometry!

 

[hilldweller]

whether it's lower than the sign gantry I don't know as I'm not skilled in trigonometry!

Taking a long view to minimise parallax errors, I'd say the bridge is lower than the sign gantry. I think lawyers are on for an early Christmas bonus here.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.3...4!1sYDge5m-SzCQ36b7IcoD1WQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

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[peterc10]

Taxi home from Heathrow today got caught up in this even though we didn't go within about 8 miles of it! Some idiot has decided to close the M26 at its junction with the M25 even though they could have kept it open and allowed traffic off at the Wrotham Heath junction before it meets the M20. That would have caused queues on the M26, but instead somebody thinks it is more "sensible" to allow the queuing to occur on the busiest road in the UK, the M25.

Result is 4 lanes trying to get into 2 and queues back to Clackets Lane Services. And to make it even more stupid they are not allowing people to turn onto the A21 Southbound at the junction. So had to take the M25 north and then do a U turn at the next junction. God knows what the junctions with the M20 and the A2 must have been like.

However the real problem is that there was not a single sign anywhere telling people the alternative routes they could use. either to the southbound A21 or even to the channel ports or tunnel. We were OK because we know the area well, but the poor sods who don't must have been totally lost. I pity any European tourist trying to find their way home without any help from the powers that be. Really disgraceful IMHO

God knows what it going to be like tomorrow afternoon and Tuesday morning if they don't get it clear

 

[Puddleduck]

However the real problem is that there was not a single sign anywhere telling people the alternative routes they could use. either to the southbound A21 or even to the channel ports or tunnel. We were OK because we know the area well, but the poor sods who don't must have been totally lost. I pity any European tourist trying to find their way home without any help from the powers that be. Really disgraceful IMHO

God knows what it going to be like tomorrow afternoon and Tuesday morning if they don't get it clear

Another reason to use both a good road map and the satnag when on your travels.

I really feel for the people caught up in this.

 

[denisejoe]

M20 now reopened.

Denise

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[GWAYGWAY]

Bid on Ebay for the evidence, Sorry Wreckage.