The challenge
The Lynemouth Bay remediation project is currently being carried out on a heavily contaminated stretch of the Northumberland coastline by internationally renowned Royal Haskoning DHV as the consulting engineer and BAM as the principal contractor. The £5 million contract was awarded by Northumberland County Council to clean up historic mining waste in the area, which includes heavy metals and other contaminants that have the potential to become a health and safety risk, as well as a threat to the environment.
Once excavated, the waste material is being taken North of the River Lyne for processing works on an area of land some two miles from the beach, with the potentially hazardous contaminants being removed for permanent safe disposal.
We were involved in providing a range of temporary bridging equipment to help facilitate site access and reduce disruption to locals during the project. We worked closely with BAM’s engineering team, who carried out the load calculations for the bridge and designed the abutments themselves, utilising our in-house capabilities.
BAM’s Site Agent, Jonny Purvis, commented: “The waste we are dealing with encompasses a variety of challenges, ranging from typical household waste – including plastics, rubber and metal – through to ‘hot spots’ consisting of Asbestos containing materials and heavy metals and the colliery waste, which dates from the 1930s through to the early 2000s. Over at the temporary processing area, the waste is put through screens and the remaining pulp is re-engineered as backfill – providing it passes the test criteria.
“One of the restrictions in the planning conditions was to reduce the impact to the local community. To meet this, it was clear that we needed an alternative to sending site vehicles, including articulated dump trucks and eight-wheeler lorries, through nearby Creswell and Lynemouth.
“We therefore went out to tender to a number of suppliers to find a solution for crossing the River Lyne and it was Mabey Hire who came up with the most viable proposal. Its equipment was temporary, meaning we weren’t making any permanent changes to the surrounding area; reusable, reducing waste after project completion; and hired, making it more cost-effective than other solutions. All of this made its proposed scheme the most practical, economic and sustainable for us.”
Our solution
The nine-bay Compact 200 heavy-duty panel bridge supplied and erected by us, is 27.4 metres in length and offers a width of 4.2 metres, allowing all necessary site traffic to access the work site without causing excess road traffic.
Jonny continued: “After our own team had constructed the abutments and approach road, Mabey Hire’s installation team spent just three days on site assembling the temporary bridge’s modular components. We then utilised a 500-tonne mobile crane to lift the bridge into position, before erecting the parapets and other components.”
Speaking as enabling works got underway in the spring, Council Leader Glen Sanderson said: “We’re delighted to have secured all the necessary permissions and now be in a position to implement this major clean-up project, which will significantly improve the environment along this part of the county’s coastline – an area that has been blighted by past industrial activity.”
Our kit first arrived on site in May 2024 and the temporary works programme is set to run for 20 weeks, with the excavation and waste treatment progressing well.
