A RISK assessment has concluded that more than £17 million should be spent on measures to protect the Tay Road Bridge in the event of it being hit by a ship, writes Brian Allison, local government reporter.

The protection would be applied to seven piers that support the bridge columns in the navigation channel.

If the project is given the go-ahead by the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, who are meeting in Dundee on Monday, work is expected to start in 2010 and last about two years. However, it may be possible to access the piers from the river only and avoid the need for any lane closures on the bridge.

In a report, engineer to the board Fergus Wilson said a pier collision risk assessment had been carried out and, as with other bridges, protective measures were recommended for the area of the navigation channel.

A study by consultants Jacobs Babtie into the likelihood of the bridge being struck by a vessel found that, with the exception of the navigation spans, the risk of the bridge being significantly damaged by such a strike was sufficiently low and that no protection measures were required.

“In the navigation spans, however, the risk of the bridge being struck by vessels travelling to and from Perth is sufficiently high as to warrant that pier protection measures are provided,” Mr Wilson said.

Jacobs Babtie subsequently produced design options and costs for a collision protection system to safeguard the columns supporting the navigation spans. That study indicated that an allowance of around £2.5 million should be made for each pier to be protected.

“A further risk assessment has been carried out and consultations have been held with Dundee Port Authority, the Tay Pilots’ Association, Perth Harbour and Scottish Government officials,” Mr Wilson said.

“Jacobs Babtie have now recommended that protective measures are applied to piers 29 to 35 as this will negate 97% of the identified risk.”

Mr Wilson said an allowance totalling £17,625 million had been made in the capital plan for protecting the seven piers.

“Scottish Government officials are aware of the scheme and the funding requirements,” he said.