150-year-old bridge brought back to life with innovative bridge lift

Barmouth, Wales

barmouth-bridge-viaduct-jacking-restoration-works-2

Project Overview

Location	Barmouth, Wales
Sector	Rail
Products	Climbing Jacks Flat Jacks

Barmouth Bridge, a Grade II listed timber railway viaduct in Wales, is over 150 years old and still carries trains and pedestrians across the Afon Mawddach estuary.

Due to extensive decay and corrosion from age and coastal exposure, a major restoration and upgrade programme was launched by Network Rail, aiming for heritage-sensitive, like-for-like component replacement.

The challenge

Structural Deterioration

The restoration involved the replacement of 24 heavily corroded crossheads, which were critical to the bridge’s support system. This required the entire structure to be carefully lifted off its piers, allowing individual crossheads to be safely removed and replaced without compromising the viaduct’s integrity.

Complex Design

To enable this lifting operation, a substantial programme of temporary works design and installation was required. We were responsible for designing, supplying, and installing a bespoke jacking system, ensuring precise load control and stability throughout the process.

Grade II Listed structure

The project utilised an innovative bridge-lifting technique that had previously been pioneered on a similar historic timber viaduct in Gwynedd. This method allowed for a safe, efficient, and minimally invasive lifting process, tailored to the sensitivities of a listed heritage structure.

Our solution

The bridge-lifting solution was developed to minimise disruption on live railway infrastructure while enabling rapid, safe restoration. Designed in partnership with Alun Griffiths, Cass Hayward, and Network Rail IP Engineering, the system used modular steel supports and hydraulic jacks that were pre-assembled off-site and transported into position.

This approach allowed work on the crossheads and piers without removing the track or deck, improving safety and efficiency. The jacking units could also be moved along the bridge rather than dismantled and reinstalled, saving valuable time during the restricted work period.

Learn more about EVE

For Barmouth Bridge, a custom cantilevered lifting frame was designed to accommodate the adjacent pedestrian walkway and limited access below the structure. Hangar bars enabled the bridge to be jacked from the top side, essential for the tidal estuary location.

To meet the tight 18-day closure window, two jacking systems operated from opposite ends, supported by a 24/7 steel erection team. This efficient approach ensured the works were completed on time, earning the project the Conservation & Regeneration Award and Civils Project of the Year Award at Constructing Excellence in Wales 2022.

Get in touch

“The system worked well, with the crossheads being replaced in 12-14 hours without requiring removal of the track and walkway. Also, the full scale testing carried out by Mabey Hire assisted enormously.”

Steve Richardson

Engineering Manager / Alun Griffiths