Lanes Group proves its mettle with bridge refurbishment success

Lanes Group has proved its growing Civils Maintenance capability with the completion of a complex project to refurbish a footbridge on the London Underground.

The work to strip, repaint and repair the bridge on the Northern Line near Finchley Central has been part of a five year improvement programme by Tube Lines. Lanes Rail Division Director Matt Todd said:

“This represents an important step for us, as we continue to develop and expand our maintenance and refurbishment services. It was recognised as a difficult project in its own right, because of the very tight time constraints and access difficulties. However, we completed the refurbishment on time and within budget, helped by a productive working relationship with both Tube Lines and our suppliers.”

Tube Lines Bridges and Structures Manager Jide Oriogun said the project was part of a five year program to refurbish bridges on the Northern, Jubilee and Piccadilly Lines. He added:

“It’s important to maintain the safety and integrity of these structures, as economically and efficiently as practicable, with the buy-in from all stakeholders, including local users.

“This footbridge is used by thousands of people every day, and influence peoples’ perceptions of the London Underground and enhances the aesthetics of the built environment.

“The collaboration with Lanes on this project has been very successful. Despite the challenges, it has been run well and gone very smoothly.”

The bridge, close to Finchley Central Station, was built in 1872. It is made from riveted wrought iron, bolted steel plates and capped with steel meshed anti-missile screens. Access for the work had to be gained via two residential cul-de-sacs

Due to the structure’s close proximity to various schools, it was agreed with the local authority, Barnet Council, that the bulk of the remedial works would take place during the school summer holidays.

The work entailed stripping all layers of paint, which included lead, by shot blasting. The bridge was taken back to the original wrought iron state. Additional works included replacing corroded steel elements and engineering out water traps

The project was undertaken with full encapsulation of the structure, which ensured very strict environmental and personal protection measures were met.

Steve Demwell, project manager for Lanes, said:

“We had less than 10 feet on the bank to work in before it dropped away to the track. The time constraints meant we were working 12 hour days, but obviously we still had to consider the needs of local residents. The job had some technical and logistical challenges.”

The project reflects Lanes Group’s success in expanding its service offer since winning a five-year Total Purchased Service maintenance contract with London Underground in 2010. Matt Todd said:

“We’re best known as the UK’s largest independent drainage specialist. But we believe this sort of project proves out flexibility across a growing range of maintenance disciplines, especially in the rail sector.”