I see that once again this viaduct is been strengthened. How many times have we seen this structure closed over the years for the very same work. Why? It must cost an absolute fortune to keep it maintained.

Don,t know who funds it but a sensible option would be to fund the work from the massive profits made from road tax.
Some suggest that only 20% of all money earned from road tax is ploughed back into the road maintainance projects.

I think at one time there was a plan to demolish the towers. It was abandoned when it was discovered that they would have to rebuild the whole section of motorway running alongside due to the possibility of damage to the foundations.

It turned out cheaper to keep maintaining the towers.

and think of the traffic chaos cutting the M1 in half at J34. Nightmare, easier to strengthen it out of maintenance budgets rather than capital outlay on a new solution.

M.

It's just another example of the city's feats of engineering. Back in the 70's it was remarked on as an amazing structure, just like the Hole In The Road. But now it's problematic and we are stuck with it.

Imagine the chaos it would cause if it were the target of a terrorist attack?

Originally posted by Internetowl
and think of the traffic chaos cutting the M1 in half at J34. Nightmare, easier to strengthen it out of maintenance budgets rather than capital outlay on a new solution.

M.

I am not so sure that it's easier to strengthen it in the long run. It's an ongoing cost. Surely a new solution would be a better choice.

I've been told that if you look at it from Meadowhall you can see a dip in it,not to sure about that one myself.It must be costing some money by the sounds of things cos i used to know 2 blokes who were going to work on this project and they were on about taking some serious money home.

Surely there is the technology available to build something alongside it, something like a suspension bridge - or two, one carrying each direction of traffic?

I hate driving on it. Always have the feeling it is going to collapse. And why is it always wet under there even in the middle of summer?

Oh AND HI :)

hehe its much more fun walking over it feeling how thing the metal plating is you're walking on the shaking when trucks go by its all good fun!

Originally posted by Lickszz
I am not so sure that it's easier to strengthen it in the long run. It's an ongoing cost. Surely a new solution would be a better choice.
It looks like a dip because the bridge curves at that point, drive across it and you will see what i mean

I watched the viaduct being built and at the time it was hailed as a great engineering feat, when Motorways were costing one million pounds a mile to build. We were told that this modern wonder would bring prosperity to the City and much needed investment.

Less than a year after completion, a local man walking his dog under the Viaduct one morning noticed a crack in the superstructure and reported it.

Since then there has been constant repairs over the years so, it must have cost a fortune to maintain and as time goes by, it will cost more and more, but, I do not see how it can be demolished as the money needed would be astronomical.

What was there before the Viaduct? Did the M1 just stop before J34?

If im not mistaken isn't the viaduct corroding from the inside, out? I think at some stage there was the ingression of water / liquids into the framework which was not drained and started the corrosion process, hence weakening the structure furthermore.

I don't think the viaduct cooling towers are the problem to their demolition (although they would be costly to demolish due to the extra care needing to be taken, also the insurance!). I think its a long standing argument that has over time somewhat become diluted. I can't see why after all these strengthening works have been carried out, that the controlled demolition of the towers cannot being (ie. not explosive based). How much difference would it make to a stretch motorway carrying over 25,000 vehicles a day? Makes me wonder!

1Man&hisBMW

Most of the problem is down to an EU directive on lorry weights. A few years ago they increased the load and, as a result, our bridges cannot take it.

This is why the lanes have been cut from three to two and why some bridges, such as the one near the old Asda at Orgreave are down to a single lane.

You're right about the EU thing. The weight limit for lorries has been increased from 32 tons, 40 tons, 44 tons etc over the years. Beats me though why they just don't strengthen all the bridges to cope with 80 ton lorries rather than doing a bit at a time.
Must save money in the long run.

Col S

Get the goods back onto the trains, then there will be no need for such gigantic lorries.

Originally posted by alchresearch
Get the goods back onto the trains, then there will be no need for such gigantic lorries.

It's a fair point. However, I am not sure that trains could cope solely with the amount of distribution these days.

Originally posted by Lickszz
I see that once again this viaduct is been strengthened. How many times have we seen this structure closed over the years for the very same work. Why? It must cost an absolute fortune to keep it maintained.

Well.... not that often if I remember right. Its just these last 5(!!) years when its been down to two lanes on top on a more-or-less permanent basis, and yes that is absolutely ridiculous, but it gives me a nice clear run off at J34 :)

I see there has been yet more work carried out on this structure. It was down to one lane and then closed off last Saturday. :(

The main problem is that this is a 'Box Girder Bridge'. Other examples of this type have collapsed. This does not inspire confidence.

Originally posted by superCol
The main problem is that this is a 'Box Girder Bridge'. Other examples of this type have collapsed. This does not inspire confidence.

I'm quite sure the level of traffic currently using the viaduct is safe; in this age of compensation culture, things like this simply cannot stand to chance!

Originally posted by The Boy Wond
Who cares!

If you live in Sheffield you never need to use it.

I've lived in Sheffield all my life and only been on the top deck once or twice.

If I'm heading South I dont need it.

If I'm heading North I dont need it.

The reason why it's nackered is this. When it was been built
there were no toilets, so the workmen just wazzed inside the
boxes on the underside of the carriage ways.

Then corrosion did the rest.

Nuff Said

Big shoutz 'n' Respect to the Tinsley Boyz who died whilst
swinging from the viaduct on a tarzan rope back in the seventies.

Dude, what you been smoking?

I came across it earlier today in the middle carrigeway...what a nightmare!!! the amount of trafic was unbelivable..

Boy Wonder is correct about corrosion caused by urine.
But many Tinsley folk blamed the gyppos for peeing on the
steelwork.
A foul slur against these colourful peg-selling,hedgehog- roasting
travelling people.

Isembard would be turning in his grave if he saw the "feat of engineering" that's the Tinsley Viaduct

:mad: We went on an investigation to Hastings Castle Saturday an all night vigil but before then it took us 35mins to get from one side of the Viaduct to the other great fun :P not

Quick Google and I found this....

http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/motorways/m1/tinsley_viaduct/tinsley_2003/index.htm

hmmnn. I like driving on it even less now.

I was told by someone who works in the Highways Dept. that the original design for the viaduct was to be a concrete construction, but horrified civic pride insisted that it be made of steel...this being Sheffield an' all.

If it had been made of concrete little of the constant refurbishment we're now suffering from would have been neccessary.

There was also a suggestion that the box-girders had been made in Redcar from Belgian steel, but that might have been mischievous :D

Anyway it seems local civic pride got in the way of common sense, to the great cost of us all.