Waterford City & County Council signs a €4.5m contract with FlowTech for the remediation and upgrade of Rice Bridge in Waterford City.
On Friday, 13 June, the contract for the remediation and upgrade of the mechanical, electrical and control systems of Rice Bridge in Waterford City was executed by Waterford City and County Council and Flowtech, a UK company specialising in the design, manufacture, repair and overhaul of mechanical and electrical (M&E) assets.
Rice Bridge is a nine-span bridge over the River Suir in Waterford City. A key component of the city’s transport network, it carries thousands of vehicles daily and has an opening central span to allow river vessels to pass through. The bridge was officially opened in 1984, and since then, many of the electrical components required to operate the structure’s opening span have become obsolete, meaning most of its electrical systems (and some mechanical elements) need to be upgraded.
In 2021, the council appointed ROD to act as consultants for the design of the upgrade works. We subsequently appointed H&H as our mechanical, electrical, instrumentation, control, and automation (MEICA) sub-consultant for their particular expertise on movable bridges. ROD is now administering and supervising the works through the construction and handover phases.
The proposed scheme includes upgrades to the bridge’s MEICA systems, specifically:
- remediation and/or replacement of the mechanical, electrical, and control equipment associated with the opening span
- works on utilities and services running through its plant rooms
- installation of an access hatch to the plant room
The project is expected to be completed in 15 months. The work is being funded under the Strategic Grant category for local and regional roads.
