CRT stuffs bridge voids with fibreglass insulation

20th February 2014

This is what I saw from the back doors as we were tied up by Bridge 82 at Campbell Park on the GU in Milton Keynes last Thursday.

A strange raft with an aluminium platform lashed to it, with a Canal and River Trust man on top inspecting the bridge at close quarters.

Actually he was doing more than looking: he was stuffing fibreglass loft insulation into the crevices.

Now why might CRT be doing this when, clearly, the bridge needs something rather more substantial than a bit of fluff to hold it together for another two hundred years?

The man with the insulation told me it was to prevent bluetits (or, presumably, other birds) nesting in the gaps and thus preventing the actual repairs which are scheduled for later in the year. But he was a little doubtful that there'd be the funds for the bridge repairs as lots of money would be needed to fix the landslip on the Mon and Brec.

Before:

After:

He and the holder of the string on the towpath side were very grateful for the tea I made them. (I was mortified when I discovered later that I'd left a teabag in one of the mugs - oops!)

To manœuvre the craft to the next bridge Mr Fibreglass pulled himself along the moored boats while Mr Towpath held the line over chimneys etc.

What a strange operation!

But hang on a minute... surely the bluetits are rubbing their little wings together in glee. Look at all that nice nesting material! Perfect!