§ 77. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Transport the reasons why the height of the soffit of the new Fullbridge, at Maldon, Essex, is to be reduced by 13 inches, instead of the deck being raised by that amount; and to what depth the underpart of the new bridge is expected to be immersed in the river, in the event of another 1928 high tide.
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§ Mr. MarplesThe extra depth in the superstructure is required so as to provide a bridge with modern standards of loading and to cater for a span of 76 feet compared with the 65 feet of the old bridge. This design will allow the abutment faces to be aligned with the river banks and will provide a net increase in the cross-sectional area of the waterway of more than 10 per cent., even if the water were to rise to the soffit level of the old bridge.
§ 78. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Transport the increase in the incline of the new 60 yards northern approach to Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, if the deck of the bridge were raised by 13 inches; and whether he will reconsider his decision not to raise the deck and the approach, observing that the approach is frequently flooded at extraordinary high water spring tides.
§ Mr. MarplesThe increase would vary with the length over which an increase in the deck level would be taken up.
Decisions about the construction of the bridge are primarily a matter for the highway authority, the Essex County Council.
I have no information to support the hon. and gallant Member's observation about flooding, but I am making further inquiries.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Transport the working load and breaking load of the temporary Fullbridge, the proposed new Fullbridge, and any Hey, Black and Wane bridges at Maldon, Essex.
§ Mr. MarplesIn accordance with normal practice both bridges were designed to my Department's standard loading. This loading is derived from an assumed distribution of vehicles over the bridge deck and it would be misleading to attempt to express it in simple quantitative terms as a working loading or as a single breaking load.
I am informed that the information the hon. Member has in mind for the Hey, Black and Wave bridges is not available.
§ Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Transport if he is aware that the frontages of properties at three corners of Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, are clear 49W for improved approaches to the bridge; and what frontages would be affected, and to what extent, at the fourth corner, by the raising of the deck of the new bridge by 13 inches.
§ Mr. MarplesYes. To increase the height of the deck by 13 inches would, I understand, leave the floor of the "Welcome Sailor" Inn four feet below the footpath level, two feet more than at present. The "White Hart" Inn would be affected to a lesser extent.