The Wynhol viaduct is an iconic feature of the M5 drive up-country and a landmark as you approach Bristol, has been open for more than 50 years.
Last year, to commemorate this milestone, National Highways invited Neil Manners, an 84 year old retired engineer who contributed to the construction of the viaduct, back to their base.
As reported by Bristol Live, he had the opportunity to learn about the current maintenance procedures implemented by the organisation responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads.
Jon Durnell, Principal Engineer and Geologist for National Highways’ geotechnical asset management team, said: “It was fantastic to meet up with Neil and fascinating to learn a little more about the construction and engineering methods and the history of this iconic landmark
He added: “The Wynhol cuttings and viaduct represents a landmark structure. As with all our structures, we carry out a regular maintenance regime to ensure it stands the test of time, and in car maintenance terms, we carried out its 100,000-mile service earlier this year.”
“Working with our contractors BAM Ritchies, a team of abseiling engineers were deployed to work on the rock slopes high above the carriageway, and a state-of-the-art drone survey was carried out to capture high-level geotechnical detail – at over two miles the longest drone overflight of live motorway in the country.”
“Given the age of the viaduct, we’re going to need to do more work on the slopes and structures of the motorway in the coming years, and that’s something we’re looking at and preparing for now. We presented a lot of design material to Neil, and it was really nice to share all the latest innovations and methods as we look forward to the next 50 years.
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Terry Robinson, National Highways’ south west engineering team manager, added: “A lot of our bridges and structures are reaching the same age along the M5, in fact next year marks the 50th anniversary of the Avonmouth Bridge.”, as reports Devon Live.
“We have a robust inspection regime and examine all our bridges and other structures in line with the published guidance in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges. This includes general visual inspection every two years and more detailed principal inspection every six years, which identifies and records defects in reinforced concrete, steelwork and other construction materials.”
“Through a programme of structural inspections, investigations and assessments we ensure that substandard and potentially vulnerable structures are identified, safeguarding measures adopted, and like the Wynhol Viaduct, are fully maintained for many years to come.”
Mr Manners commented: “As an engineer, I worked on a number of road infrastructure projects across the world and I certainly have some interest in the south west, having been involved in construction of the viaduct and the Almondsbury Interchange. “It was great to get together with the team looking after all these structures and to learn about the current engineering methods. Built into the slopes of the Wynhol cuttings, the M5 viaduct was a real feat of engineering and it was really interesting to see how it’s being maintained today.”
