WORK to resurface the Tamar Bridge which had been due to start last month will now be delayed until June because of post-Brexit problems gaining visas for the workers involved.

Civil engineering contractor VolkerLaser had engaged a specialist team from the Swiss company Aeschlimman AG to carry out part of the work on the complex task of resurfacing the orthropic steel deck, which has to be done using a particular kind of material.

Aeschlimman, who carried out the resurfacing of the Plymouth side span of the bridge in 2011, have had issues with work and travel arrangements for some of their 20 EU based staff which are taking time to resolve, said Tamar Crossings.

Project manager for VolkerLaser Nathan Wakfer said: “The process and requirements for obtaining a visa for temporary work in the UK that have applied since January this year are complex and untested, and the delays relate to the new detailed administrative aspects of this process.”

He continued: “VolkerLaser is fully committed to completing this important project this year, and we apologise for this unavoidable delay to the commencement of the works. We are working extremely hard to overcome these new challenges.

“Although works have yet to commence on the bridge, there is a lot of work being carried out off site, including surfacing and waterproofing testing and trials; this will ensure a smooth commencement to on-site works, once the visa issue is resolved. We have already mobilised our site set up and this is being left in place ready for works to commence in June.”

Resurfacing the Tamar Bridge is a highly complex project, involving a series of processes which follow on consecutively, says Tamar Crossings, which manage the bridge and ferry.

“This means that each phase has to be completed before work can begin on the next one. Unlike bridges which have concrete decks, the Tamar Bridge has an orthotropic steel deck which has to be resurfaced using a specialist asphalt material.”

While UK-based subcontractors will be carrying out the surface planing, and deck preparation elements of the project, and VolkerLaser, also a UK company, will carry out the steel deck repairs and waterproofing works using its own skilled labour resources, “only a very small number of contractors around the world are able to lay the type of surfacing material being used on the bridge,” said Tamar Crossings.

“The bridge deck surfacing operation is very highly specialised, and only a very small number of contractors around the world are able to lay the type of surfacing material being used on the Tamar Bridge,” said Tamar Crossings.

“VolkerLaser is confident that these issues will be overcome within the next few weeks, but rather than begin work now and risk a period of delay in the middle of the project, awaiting the arrival of the Aeshlimann team, it has been jointly agreed that the start date will move to 1 June.”

VolkerLaser is committed to ensuring the resurfacing programme is complete and all lanes of the bridge will be re-opened before the end of 2021.

“We are working with both companies to ensure that the work starts as quickly as possible and is then completed before the weather deteriorates. We will be monitoring the delivery of the programme closely and taking any action necessary to ensure that the deadline for re-opening the bridge is achieved.”