Tees Viaduct

{{Short description|Viaduct over the River Tees in Northern England}}

{{Infobox Bridge

|bridge_name = Tees Viaduct

|image = A19_Tees_Viaduct_rom_Maze_Park_viewing_hill-2-1088.jpg

|image_size = 240px

|alt = A19 Tees Viaduct from the Maze Park viewing hill

|caption = (A19) Tees Viaduct from Maze Park's viewing hill

|official_name = A19 Tees Viaduct

|carries = A19 road

|crosses = River Tees, Teesdale Way, Thornaby Middlesbrough railway line, B6541 and A66 roads and Lustrum Beck

|locale = Middlesbrough, England

|owner = National Highways

|maint = Autolink Concessionaires (A19) Limited (1997–2027)

|id =

|designer =

|design = Slab and Girder

|material = Steel plate girders and composite concrete deck on reinforced concrete piers

|width =

|height =

|length = 2.9 km, spanning 1.95 km

|mainspan = {{convert|117|m|ft}}

|spans = 68

|pierswater = none

|load =

|clearance =

|below =

|life =

|builder =

|fabricator =

|begin = 1973

|complete = 1975

|open = November 1975

|inaugurated =

|toll =

|traffic = 112,000 vehicles per day (2016)

|closed =

|preceded = Tees Barrage

|followed = Tees Newport Bridge

|map_cue =

|map_image =

|map_text =

|map_width =

|coordinates = {{coord|54|34|4.08|N|1|16|4.44|W}}

|lat =

|long =

}}

The A19 Tees Viaduct or Tees Flyover is a high level six-lane dual carriageway road bridge in the North East of England carrying the main A19 trunk road north–south across the River Tees.{{cite web |title=River Tees – Crossings |work=Three Rivers Cycle Routes |accessdate=29 October 2009 |year=2004 |url=http://www.cycle-routes.org/threerivers/3r_bridges/tees_bridges.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080819153248/http://www.cycle-routes.org/threerivers/3r_bridges/tees_bridges.html |archivedate=19 August 2008 }}

The bridge is located between Middlesbrough and Stockton-on-Tees just north of the A19's interchange with the A66 trunk road and carries the north–south traffic through Teesside avoiding the main towns but is also used extensively by local traffic.

On the southern bank the bridge crosses the marshalling yard railway lines and the main Thornaby-Middlesbrough section of Tees Valley Line, the B6541 (Old A66/A67, Stockton Road) and the A66 road.

On the northern bank the bridge crosses the Teesdale Way long-distance cycle/footpath, Lustrum Beck, a service road, footpath (disused railway line) and the main roundabout on the Portrack Interchange.

Design

The viaduct is a beam or girder bridge.

It has reinforced concrete piers and pier bends supporting steel-plate girder beams and a composite deck with some 200 moving parts.{{cite web|title=How Tees Valley spans the world |url=http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/teespride/2003/10/21/how-tees-valley-spans-the-world-50080-13538277/ |work=Evening Gazette |date=21 October 2003 |accessdate=18 November 2008 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716234044/http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/teespride/2003/10/21/how-tees-valley-spans-the-world-50080-13538277/ |archivedate=16 July 2011 }}

The viaduct is 2.9 km long{{cite web |title=A19 Tees Viaduct |work=Bridges on the Tyne |url=http://www.bridgesonthetyne.co.uk/teesvia.html |accessdate=18 November 2008}}

and 1.95 km between abutments and was at the time the largest such bridge in the British Isles.{{cite book |title=Polymers and Polymer Composites in Construction |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8SqmyiZz6GIC&dq=A19+Tees+Viaduct&pg=PA269 |first=Leonard |last=Hollaway |publisher=Thomas Telford |year=1990 |isbn = 9780727715210|accessdate=18 November 2008}}

It has 68 spans on the main north south route—the largest span being that over the river at 117 m.

The bridge was designed with sufficient clearance to allow ships to pass, although the port of Stockton-on-Tees up-river was virtually redundant by then.{{cite web |title=A Trip up the Tees |url=http://www.teesrowingclub.co.uk/v_tripuptees.asp |accessdate=18 November 2008 |first=Chris |last=Kenyon |work=Tees Rowing Club |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009030359/http://www.teesrowingclub.co.uk/v_tripuptees.asp |archivedate=9 October 2008 }} Since the Tees Newport Bridge had its lifting deck permanently fixed in the down position in 1990, large shipping can no longer reach the Tees viaduct, further reducing the need for such a high structure.

Construction

The bridge was built between 1973 and 1975 encompassing the 'Three-Day Week' and that may account for some of its subsequent problems.

Operation and maintenance

File:A19 TV 5th north pier thru 4th-1088.jpg

The viaduct was opened in November 1975.

The bridge has had problems with corrosion since it was opened and repairs have been necessary at times.

Expansion joints cracked allowing de-icing salts to wash from the bridge carriageway into the piers, cross beams and columns giving rise to extensive chloride attack.

It was then decided the best solution was the complete demolition and reconstruction of most of the piers and repair of others.{{cite book |title=Advanced Concrete Technology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H2g5xZEewOoC&dq=A19+Tees+Viaduct&pg=PT171 |accessdate=18 November 2008 |first=John Brian |last=Newman |first2=Ban Seng |last2=Choo |date = 21 August 2003|publisher=BH |isbn = 9780080489995}}{{cite web |title=Bridge of Sighs |url=http://www.contractjournal.com/Articles/1995/05/18/27644/bridge-of-sighs.html |date=18 May 1995 |accessdate=18 November 2008 |work=ContractJournal.com}}{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite web|title=Teesside Viaduct-Helping To Strengthen The A19 |url=http://www.lindapter.com/page_content.cfm?pid=3&csid=43 |accessdate=18 November 2008 |work=Lindapter |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210072422/http://www.lindapter.com/page_content.cfm?pID=3 |archivedate=10 December 2008 }}{{cite book |title=Repair Rejuvenation and Enhancement of Concrete: Tees Viaduct Chloride Extraction Trial

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F8HosZdH8BUC&dq=A19+Tees+Viaduct&pg=PA317 |accessdate=18 November 2008 |first=D. A. |last=Kimberley|year = 2002|isbn = 9780727731753}}

The bridge was originally constructed with two-lane carriageways and a concrete apron up to the parapet but this was expanded to three lanes.

File:Tees viaduct river pier grp enclosure and access points-1024.jpg

From 1988 to 1989 the underside of the bridge was enclosed with a steel and GRP panelling structure to protect the primary structure from the effects of weather and to allow safe and easy inspection and maintenance.{{cite web |title=I.Struct.E. Study Group on Advanced Composites |url=http://www-civ.eng.cam.ac.uk/isegroup/a19.htm |first=Chris |last=Burgoyne |publisher=University of Cambridge |accessdate=18 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060112181036/http://www-civ.eng.cam.ac.uk/isegroup/a19.htm |archive-date=12 January 2006 |url-status=dead }}

The A19 including the Tees Viaduct is operated by Autolink Concessionaires (A19) Limited, a consortium comprising Sir Robert McAlpine, Taylor Woodrow and Amey under a thirty-year DBFO (Design Build Finance Operate) agreement with the Highways Agency running from 1997 to 2027.

The bridge carried an average of 112,000 vehicles a day in 2016 and concerns that the capacity of the road is being exceeded at peak times has led to a study detailing the proposals for a new crossing.{{cite news |last1=Ramsbotham |first1=James |title=Ambtious plan for crossing |work=The Northern Echo |date=22 March 2019 |page=20|issn=2043-0442}} Because of this CCTV cameras were installed on the bridge to record incident related congestion and to enable a quicker response.{{cite web |title= Publications and Records: Transport |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmhansrd/cm070522/text/70522w0019.htm |first=Dr Stephen |last=Ladyman |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |date=22 May 2007 |accessdate=18 November 2008}}

Starting in 1997 the approach roads to the bridge were widened from two lanes to three.{{cite web |title=Stockton-on-Tees Local Plan Apr 1991 – Mar 2006 |publisher=Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council |accessdate=24 January 2009 |url=http://www.maps.stockton.gov.uk/Internet/LocalPlan/WrittenStatement/chapter5.htm}}{{cite book |title=Repair Rejuvenation and Enhancement of Concrete: Tees Viaduct Chloride Extraction Trial |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F8HosZdH8BUC&dq=A19+Tees+Viaduct&pg=PA317 |first=D. A. |last=Kimberley |year = 2002|isbn = 9780727731753|accessdate=18 November 2008}}{{cite web |title=Prosperous Communities II |publisher=Local Government Association |accessdate=28 October 2009 |date=February 2007 |url=http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/aio/21918 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091118161418/http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/aio/21918 |archive-date=18 November 2009 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=A19 Carriageway Upgrade |work=Sir Robert McAlpine |accessdate=29 October 2009 |url=http://www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com/projects/?thumbnailIndex=2&id=430}}{{cite web |title=A19 Tenders to Go Out This Month |work=Construction News |accessdate=11 December 2010 |date=17 November 1994 |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/archive/17nov94-uk-a19-tenders-to-go-out-this-month-17-11-1994/}}

A detailed principal inspection report in 2006 concluded that the Tees Viaduct overall is in fair condition.