The updates are coming in hard and fast now, so keep up at the back there, readers !
A report from John, our structures engineer at 16.00 today:

Bridge 5, Little Buckland

Excavation has re-started on the Broadway end. The section of this under the upside, Broadway end wing wall will be deeper, as the old foundations have to come out since they have failed. The digging has exposed a very nasty crack at the junction of the wing wall and the back of the abutment (see below), which is likely to be linked to the earlier reported crack on the face (50mm wide at the worst point). As can be seen it is also undermining the support to the padstone carrying the end of the outer main girder. It is hoped that the lowest concrete pour can be placed early next week. 
 

Crack behind the wing wall, and underneath the pad stone

The bricklayers have completed a couple of awkward bits including the return on the upside Broadway end abutment corner (see below). This will be connected to the new wing wall when it is re-built. Then the new pilaster will be built on top of the completed wall.

 Bridge 1, Broadway

The steelworkers have started re-fitting the two new blast cleaned shiny plates to the underside of the downside outer girder. On the 3 pictures below you can see there are loads of 22mm high strength bolts to be installed. They are also cutting out some of the damaged areas on the lower flange of the upside outer beam. (i.e. on the other, Evesham side, also hit by lorries)

Newly fabricated flange plates being installed

The painter has been very busy, below deck as well, and has the first of two top coats on about 75% of the steel. The bricklayers have installed a foundation for the upside, Cheltenham end pilasters and were working on the plinth brickwork. This pilaster had fallen over (or was it pushed!)

Then an amazing thing happened at the southern end of platform 2 at Broadway: S&T installed a tall viewing platform, just for us ! This enables us to reveal to our faithful readers this exclusive and as yet unique view of the Broadway bridge works from above:

Prominent are the three brown painted main girders, and the orange decking in its undercoat before water proofing.

Turning slightly to the right, we can see the future car park field, the trackbed towards Laverton, and one of the two dumpers that is shutteling between bridge 5 at Little Buckland and the far end of the car park field, where the excavated material from Bridge 5 is being stored.

A close up shows our structures engineer John, in the company of the bridge contractors, watching the new flange plates being manoeuvered under the bridge.

And what was this new viewing platform by the bridge? Why, it's the new bracket signal ! As if you hadn't guessed... Doesn't it look good, now that it's fully assembled!

With thanks to Andy P, our roving S&T reporter.