19th century Newhall Road Bridge gets 21st century makeover

A Sheffield bridge with a history dating back to the 17th century has been strengthened, repaired and restored by Amey. Newhall Road bridge over the River Don is one of 240 road bridges and culverts in Sheffield to be given a new lease of life thanks to investment linked to Sheffield City’s €2.5 billion Streets Ahead highway maintenance contract.
April 10, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
1889 and still going: Newhall Road Bridge over the River Don in Sheffield, England
A Sheffield bridge with a history dating back to the 17th century has been strengthened, repaired and restored by 2958 Amey.


Newhall Road bridge over the River Don is one of 240 road bridges and culverts in Sheffield to be given a new lease of life thanks to investment linked to Sheffield City’s €2.5 billion Streets Ahead highway maintenance contract.

The current steel structure was built around 1889 close to the location of the giant Hecla Works where manganese steel was developed. But the crossing’s history can be traced back several centuries to a time when it was a rural bridge for a packhouse, a warehouse used for curing tobacco or storing produce.

The five-month scheme was carried out Amey and tackled areas of corrosion to some of the steel structural elements as well as overall strengthening, explained Christopher Hampson, Amey structures manager.

“Although the bridge was perfectly functional, parts of the original steel trusses and a steel troughing underneath were corroded, partly as a result of its environment and road salts over the years.

“We carried out a large number of repairs to the steelwork. A number of the original rivets were replaced with new bolts, a new concrete slab was cast on the deck and it was fully resurfaced. The bridge was completely re-painted and the stonework restored.


“It was time consuming work because it is only once you have started that you discover extra areas that require attention. Now completed, the life of the bridge has been extended by many years,” said Hampson.

The government-backed Streets Ahead programme will help Sheffield improve roads, footpaths, street lighting and other highways infrastructure.

Amey will have strengthened 40 road bridges including other historic bridges that will allow the lifting of weight restrictions. With the main five-year core investment programme almost completed, Amey will carry out regular routine and preventative maintenance to all the city’s highway structures over the next 20 years.

Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bridge inspection: destructive versus non-destructive methods
    January 6, 2015
    Tens of thousands of bridges in the United States are in desperate need of repair. But where to begin analysing their deteriorating state? Roger Roberts* investigates tips and techniques for ensuring bridge safety The average age of America’s more than 600,000 crumbling bridges is 42 years – many are 60 to 80 years old. The situation is dire, with many described as functionally obsolete, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ latest edition of its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.
    Read More
  • Champlain Bridge set to open by end of year, says SNC-Lavalin
    May 14, 2018
    The Canadian city’s replacement Champlain Bridge will open on schedule at the end of the year. Montreal, one of Canada’s largest cities, will have a well-earned Christmas present in December when the new Champlain Bridge opens after 42 months of construction. The new bridge, part of a six-lane 6km corridor including roads, is being built alongside the original bridge over the Saint Lawrence River and Seaway canal system. The new bridge, 3.4km long, runs from the île des Soeurs to Brossard, immediately dow
    Read More
  • Two bridges in Nepal to help power generation increase
    October 11, 2012
    Construction of two vital bridges in Nepal will help increase power generation and offer a return on investment Two bridges are required in Nepal to enable the country to address its current capacity shortfall in electric power generation. Once constructed, they will be the largest single-span truss bridges in Nepal. Construction of the Arun River Bridge at Leguwaghat, Dhankuta, and Sabha Khola Bridge, Sankhuwasabha District, is also required to maximise the rate of return on special programmes under the R
    Read More
  • Amey installing LED luminaires in a 3-year contract in Manchester
    February 8, 2018
    Amey has begun work in the UK city of Manchester replacing traditional discharge lamps with 56,000 LED luminaires in street lights under a three-year contract. Amey said that the LED lights will deliver significant energy and carbon emissions reductions, being around 60% more energy efficient. They provide more robust in-light service and improved colour recognition qualities with significantly reduced maintenance activities and running costs. Amey estimates that the upgrade will cut more than 7,000tonne
    Read More

Highlighted Content