CLEVELAND Bridge UK has re-established its specialist Bridge Rehabilitation Team to develop its position in the bridge inspection and refurbishment market.

The team – which has wide experience of project management, inspection and bridge rehabilitation worldwide – will support life extension programmes across the UK’s bridge network and internationally, including those originally constructed by Cleveland Bridge.

It is looking to build on its depth of skills and proven expertise gained over more than a century of bridge building. Its first major success is being appointed as principal contractor on a prestigious 12-month project to inspect the Humber Bridge’s main cables.

The Darlington-based firm offers a range of services including in-house design, engineering and fabrication, together with project and construction management. It also has considerable experience of bridge strengthening, dehumidification and refurbishment work, ranging from minor repairs to extensive retrofits.

The team is led by Jim Mawson, head of operational delivery, supported by Nick Lamb, senior business development manager and Mark Dymond, construction manager.

All three recently joined the company and have previously worked on several high profile long span bridge and civil engineering projects, including the M48 Severn Bridge, The Humber Bridge, Forth Road Bridge and the new Queensferry Crossing.

Work on the Humber Bridge project, which involves the inspection of eight main cable panels, each measuring 18 metres in length, began in February.

Cleveland Bridge is also delivering inspection, cable material sampling, sample preparation and associated laboratory works, which is being undertaken by its partner COWI.

The Humber Bridge was built by the British Bridge Builders’ consortium, which included Cleveland Bridge and, when it opened in 1981, it held the record for the world’s longest spanning suspension bridge.

Head of operational delivery Mr Mawson said: “This specialist team has been established to use Cleveland Bridge’s considerable breadth of skills and knowledge in this sector to grow our share of the refurbishment and rehabilitation business, which is demonstrated by our involvement as principal contractor in the Humber Bridge project.”

Chris Droogan, managing director of Cleveland Bridge UK, said: “This company is famous around the globe for creating iconic bridges. It is fitting, given our heritage, that we are now focussing our considerable expertise to ensure these structures continue to be expertly maintained and protected for generations to come.”