Featured in the 1981 WW2 film (The Eye of the Needle) starring Donald Sutherland, Connel Bridge has become an iconic landmark just outside Oban. Originally built in 1903 as a railway bridge, it has been used solely for road traffic since 1966.
The clearance on the bridge is approximately 1 metre lower than a typical motorway bridge or flyover. This has caused the overhead structural beams to be struck on several occasions by high vehicles.
Millar Callaghan were asked to replace the damaged overhead beams and heat straighten the damaged flanges of the vertical beams.
All work needed to be carried out at night to ensure minimum disruption to the public. This involved closing the bridge for 8 hours per night for a period of 5 nights.
After a full survey had been carried out, our workshop team started fabricating the two new cross beams. When the new beams were completed they were sent for shot-blasting and painting to highway specification. A programme of works was then agreed with the client and notice served to the public informing them of the bridge closure.
The existing damaged beams were supported by our Hi-Ab, cut down and removed from site. The damaged flanges of the vertical legs were then repaired using a heating and cooling process and applying a constant pressure to precise areas to restore them into their original shape. The temperature was closely monitored with temple sticks to ensure that it never rose above 500°C therefore removing any risk of changing the mechanical properties of the steel. With the vertical beams repaired and any damaged paint touched up, our Hi-Ab positioned the new horizontal overhead beams.
