Humber Barge Waterdog
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On Thursday 26 March 2015 the Nexans bridge was being opened to allow boat traffic overnight when the supporting arms snapped and the bridge came crashing down. It must have been a terrific shock for the operator, stood in the control box as the counter weight slammed into the tower’s structure



The bridge was around 100 years old and was rebuilt after WW2 damage. The factory had been considering quotes for refurbishment for a few years but at €500,000 to €1 million it wasn’t going to happen soon. The collapse took the choice out of their hands and they were forced to get a company in to demolish it in order



The bridge was around 100 years old and was rebuilt after being damaged in WW2. The factory had been considering quotes for refurbishment for a 2 years but at €500,000 to €1 million it wasn’t going to happen. The collapse took the choice out of their hands and they were forced to get a company in to demolish it in order to re-open navigation on the Sambre. We were impressed that it took just over a month to re-open the river. The first boat to escape from the French side came through Erquelinnes on 24 April.