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Cyclist's arm "ripped apart" by "razor sharp" Poole bridgeRazor sharp Twin Sails Bridge barriers - image via Lets Go Out Bournemouth on Flickr (2).jpg

Cyclist's arm "ripped apart" by "razor sharp" Poole bridge

A 72-year old holiday maker needed emergency surgery after falling into a barrier on the Twin Sails Bridge in the south coast town
by Elliot Johnston
Sun, Jul 24, 2016 14:31
9

Poole's groundbreaking Twin Sails Bridge has been dubbed "not fit for purpose" by a cyclist whose arm was "ripped apart" by the bridge's barrier at the beginning of July.

Andrew Gay, 72, who lives in the Thames Valley, was on a sailing holiday with his wife when he fell of his bike and collided with the unique bridge's sculptural barriers.

The impact left the Thames Valley resident needing 40 stitches to his right arm.

He told the Bournemouth Echo that he was on his way to the gym when the bike's rear wheel slipped on an on-road cat's eye catapulting the 72-year old into the barrier, which he describes as "razor sharp... and not fit for purpose."

He said that two cones were blocking the cycle path, forcing him to briefly ride into the road.

"When I pulled back into the cycle lane," he said. "My back wheel hit one of the cat’s eyes and this small ridge between the cycle lane and the main carriageway.

“My back wheel hit that ridge, kicked out and I shot straight out into the bridge barrier.

“When I hit the bottom of the barrier it catapulted me and the bike right over the top into it and ripped my arm apart.”

He went on to say that the sight of his arm immediately after the incident almost made him faint.

The £37million bridge has been a distinct feature of Poole's skyline since it was opened in April 2012. 

Designed by architecture firm Wilkinson Eyre, which also designed Gateshead's iconic Millenium Bridge and the Media City Footbridge in Salford, the Twin Sails Bridge is the first of its kind in the world.

It gets its name from the shape the two halves of the folding bridge make when they stand upright to let marine traffic through.

The beauty of the bridge isn't lost on Mr Gay, who told the Echo that he thinks the bridge is beautiful, but that he doesn't want anyone else to end up injured like him.

"I love the Twin Sails Bridge, it is a beautiful bridge - all I want to do is protect anyone else from hitting that barrier. What if a kid is roller-skating, or maybe riding a scooter, and hits that barrier.

"They could be ripped apart because the edges are razor sharp. It is not fit for purpose.

"A motorcyclist hitting this barrier would be in serious trouble. I cannot believe it is in place."

The Bournemouth Echo contacted the borough of Poole's engineering manager John Rice, who told them that the department are aware of the complaint, and are looking into the matter.

Poole
Twin Sails Bridge

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9 comments

Avatar
Thelma Viaduct | 8 years ago
0 likes

Roadie

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
0 likes

i read the headline and first thought was Bristol Cheesegrater. Have to wonder when aethetics over rides practicality. 

Avatar
brooksby replied to mrmo | 8 years ago
0 likes

mrmo wrote:

Have to wonder when aethetics over rides practicality. 

**cough-cough-Garden Bridge-cough-cough**

Avatar
Paul_C | 8 years ago
3 likes

they'll solve this by putting up 'cyclists dismount' signs and then blaming the cyclist when it happens again for having ignored the signs...

Avatar
sam_smith | 8 years ago
4 likes

"Designed by architecture firm Wilkinson Eyre"

 

There is your problem right there, using architects instead of engineers. Leave the civil engineering to the engineers, it may not be as pretty but it will be designed to spec, conform to CDM regulations and probably built on budget too.

Avatar
burtthebike | 8 years ago
4 likes

There is a complete failure to consider safety when designing bridges, especially the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

There are several examples where I live, Bristol, such as the infamous "cheese grater" http://road.cc/content/news/142667-bristols-cheesegrater-bridge-be-resur... That a modern shared use bridge could be designed so badly that it needs immediate remedial work to make it fit for purpose is an indictment of the planning process, especially given the furore about two other recently constructed local bridges.

These are Valentines Bridge and Pero's Bridge, neither of which meet minimum standards for shared use, despite being on cycle routes.  I took Bristol City Council to the Ombudsman about Pero's Bridge and won, because they had completely failed to ensure that the bridge was fit for purpose, and had erected "cyclists dismount" signs, on what was, according to their own designation, a strategic cycle route.

Valentines Bridge is just a demonstration of the complete stupidity of planners, as it looks great, but isn't suitable for shared use, despite being on a cycle route, as the parapets are too low.  To ensure maximum inconvenience, the owners installed not only the usual "cyclists dismount" signs, but a chicane, forcing cyclists and pedestrians into conflict.  Despite its obvious design flaws, Sustrans gave it an award!

That is three out of three bridges on cycle routes in Bristol designed so badly that none of them are suitable for purpose.  Why aren't the people commissioning these bridges demanding compensation from the designers, who are clearly incompetent and unable to learn from past mistakes?

They could have hired a Dutch engineer who would have designed the bridges right first time and saved vast amounts of money and loss of face.

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to burtthebike | 8 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

There are several examples where I live, Bristol, such as the infamous "cheese grater" http://road.cc/content/news/142667-bristols-cheesegrater-bridge-be-resur... That a modern shared use bridge could be designed so badly that it needs immediate remedial work to make it fit for purpose is an indictment of the planning process, especially given the furore about two other recently constructed local bridges.

At least they've now re-surfaced the "cheese grater" so that it doesn't become slippery in the wet. It amazes me how it got the go-ahead when wet weather made it dangerous for pedestrians let alone cyclists (I took a slide along it before I was aware of the danger - ripped a hole in a new gore-tex jacket).

Avatar
brooksby replied to burtthebike | 8 years ago
0 likes

burtthebike wrote:

There is a complete failure to consider safety when designing bridges, especially the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

There are several examples where I live, Bristol, such as the infamous "cheese grater" http://road.cc/content/news/142667-bristols-cheesegrater-bridge-be-resur... That a modern shared use bridge could be designed so badly that it needs immediate remedial work to make it fit for purpose is an indictment of the planning process, especially given the furore about two other recently constructed local bridges.

These are Valentines Bridge and Pero's Bridge, neither of which meet minimum standards for shared use, despite being on cycle routes.  I took Bristol City Council to the Ombudsman about Pero's Bridge and won, because they had completely failed to ensure that the bridge was fit for purpose, and had erected "cyclists dismount" signs, on what was, according to their own designation, a strategic cycle route.

Valentines Bridge is just a demonstration of the complete stupidity of planners, as it looks great, but isn't suitable for shared use, despite being on a cycle route, as the parapets are too low.  To ensure maximum inconvenience, the owners installed not only the usual "cyclists dismount" signs, but a chicane, forcing cyclists and pedestrians into conflict.  Despite its obvious design flaws, Sustrans gave it an award!

That is three out of three bridges on cycle routes in Bristol designed so badly that none of them are suitable for purpose.  Why aren't the people commissioning these bridges demanding compensation from the designers, who are clearly incompetent and unable to learn from past mistakes?

They could have hired a Dutch engineer who would have designed the bridges right first time and saved vast amounts of money and loss of face.

Pero's Bridge is a useful way of avoiding the Centre, but it's not pleasant: too narrow, and full of bolshy tourists who will elbow you and then say it's your fault for cycling across "their" bridge...

Avatar
brooksby | 8 years ago
3 likes

Well, now, I think someone needs to have a word with whomever signed off the bridge's health and safety assessment before it was opened ... Or is this a case of it being absolutely perfectly safe so long as (1) you're wearing body armour and (2) you are careful not to fall over (I think that's how many elf'n'safety assessments go vis-a-vis cyclists nowadays).

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