£3m boost for Humber Bridge maintenance

THE first instalment of a £6-million emergency grant to enable vital maintenance on the Humber Bridge will arrive before Christmas.

The Government was forced to bail out the Humber Bridge Board, after it fell into financial difficulties when the Department for Transport (DfT) refused to allow the bridge toll to rise during the recession.

As a result, the board faced a £1.1-million deficit by the end of the financial year.

At a special meeting of the Humber Bridge Board, members were told the money would arrive just in time and that the first £3-million instalment would pull them out of the red before Christmas.

This means dehumidification of the bridge's suspension cables, to prevent rust, can begin in the new year – ensuring the structure is kept in top condition.

The bridge relies heavily on its main cables to support its roadway.

The thousands of wires which make up the cables can corrode if not properly maintained.

Kim Ryley, former chief executive of Hull City Council and the clerk to the board, said: "The first £3-million is on its way to Hull City Council, and in turn, they will pass it to the board.

"This will come before Christmas which is about the time we need to start spending the money on the maintenance of the bridge.

"We have now appointed a contractors who have the technical experience in this field and the work will go ahead earlier than we would otherwise have been able to."

The contractor assigned to the multi-million project will be announced later this week.

Because the £6-million grant will be used for the maintenance, the board can now use other resources to slowly continue to pay off the £332-million debt owed to the DfT.

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