WCML bridge "life expired" at only 70 years old

[Justin Smith]

The RM (Feb 25 p81) reports that the Clifton Bridge which carries the WCML over the M6 about 4m south of Penrith is "life expired", in fact "for safety reasons" at the current time only one train is allowed onto it at any one time. It is only 70 years old.....
I nearly choked on my cornflakes when I read that !
Lets see, Ribblehead viaduct built 1875 (150 years old), Royal Border Bridge built 1850 (175 years old), Skerne bridge built 1825 (200 years old). They might have needed maintenance, but they are, quite plainly, not "life expired" and in need of replacement.
When did British Civil engineering become so crap ?

 

[ThirteenArches]

Obviously more than 70 years ago! Concrete quality? Water getting into reinforcement? The dreaded aerated stuff?

 

[thejuggler]

Nothing unusual. Lots of 50-70 year old structures (especially steel and concrete) are now becoming life expired. Like all structures they were built to meet a specification for the available budget.

A new Forth road bridge was built because the original was expired. A new Severn bridge was built not only to improve access to South Wales but also because the original bridge wasn't going to last forever.

Ribblehead has had constant repairs over the years, including very recently.

 

[enginedin]

it's being replaced next January, which will necessitate a 2 week closure of the line, and M6 for 2 weekends (https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-roads/north-west/m6-clifton-bridge-replacement/; https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy3y54yzpdo)

 

[sh24]

When did British Civil engineering become so crap ?

When the Tay Bridge collapsed in the mid 19th Century

 

[Magdalia]

Lets see, Ribblehead viaduct built 1875 (150 years old)

Ribblehead has had constant repairs over the years, including very recently.

Ribblehead has had huge amounts of maintenance over the last 40 years to prevent it from falling down.

"for safety reasons" at the current time only one train is allowed onto it at any one time

One of the 1980s changes was to reduce the viaduct to single line so that only one train could pass over the viaduct at any one time.

 

[Julia]

It is only 70 years old.....
I nearly choked on my cornflakes when I read that !
...
When did British Civil engineering become so crap ?

Well, it's doing about 68 years better than some more modern creations, like the A14:

Price, quality, timescale, pick any two. Which two do you think the politicians, and anyone in their chain of command, picks every time?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

How old was the railway bridge over the M62 in the Castleton area (between Manchester and Rochdale) when it needed replacing (last year)? Fifty odd years? Wasn't that one concrete?

 

[matt]

Already discussed here https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...oast-mainline-bridge-over-m6-jan-2026.269849/