Further engineering investigation work has been carried out on the Red Bridge as Eyemouth Harbour Trust (EHT) continues to assess what will be required to bring it safely back into use.
The bridge was removed in June following a failure of its hydraulic operating system. Investigations have identified issues beyond those anticipated during the initial repair and refurbishment planning. What initially appeared to be a contained mechanical issue has since proven to be more complex, with further investigations identifying significant work that will be required before the bridge can safely and sustainably return to use.
To date, EHT has been exploring a number of repair options with specialist engineering consultants that assess the viability of the bridge’s hydraulic system.
Those investigations have established that the issue extends beyond the original hydraulic fault. Further engineering work is now required to determine whether major elements of the bridge can be repaired or whether parts will need to be redesigned or replaced to ensure the bridge is safe, reliable, compliant with current standards and suitable for the long term. As a result, the full scope and final cost of the work cannot yet be confirmed. However, it is already clear that the investment required is likely to be significant.
EHT would like to see the Red Bridge brought back into use. However, as a statutory harbour authority, it has statutory responsibilities, most importantly maintaining safe marine navigation, access for vessels to the boatyard and continued investment in essential maintenance across the wider harbour, including vital work required at the West Pier.
These responsibilities must be considered when deciding how EHT’s resources can be used, particularly when the potential and significant cost of reinstating the Red Bridge is still being established.
Given the likely scale of work, EHT is also exploring what financial support may be available and continues to engage with statutory stakeholders, engineers, insurers, service providers, and other organisations with an interest in the bridge. Discussions are continuing, alongside the engineering work, to establish both a preferred technical solution and its cost as well as how that solution could be funded.
These discussions will provide a clearer understanding of the scope of work required, the likely cost and the viable options available to progress. Until that work is completed, EHT is not able to provide a firm date for when the bridge will return to service.
EHT will provide a further update once there is greater clarity.
