Up to five protective coatings applied to prevent erosion.
Our impact
3000m2
Area of bridge covered per season
5
Number of protective coatings appliedĀ
130,000
Number of vehicles that cross the bridge on a daily basis
Difficult to reach areas are accessed by rope teams.
Protective coatings
The Queen Elizabeth II Bridge forms the Dartford Crossing over the River Thames connecting Kent and Essex. Opened in 1991, it was built to carry all southbound traffic on the M25, and today carries up to 130,000 vehicles daily.
Jackson, then, was proud to be charged with giving this iconic structure its first refreshed coat of paint in 30 years.Ā
The work, on behalf of Connect Plus, takes place 50m above the River Thames, inside gantries on the underside of the bridge. Difficult to reach areas are accessed by rope teams.
The work involves cleaning the steel beams and flanges before applying up to five coats of primer and protective coatings to prevent erosion.
It takes more than thumbs to plug gaps in the sea wall.
Work takes place 50m above the River Thames.
Working day and night
Jackson has appointed specialists Denholm to undertake the shot blasting and painting, which goes on throughout the day and night. The first year of work focussed on 3,000m2 of steelwork on the Kent side of the bridge.
A key challenge of the work is the time it takes to get to the work area, a typical journey involves a lift and a series of ladders. The weather can also impact productivity – if it is too windy, work must stop. The paint can also only be applied at certain temperatures.
The painting season runs from April to October, and the project is expected to run across at least five seasons.
