Anti-rust work to begin on bridge

Rust prevention work is to be carried out on the main cables of the Humber Bridge for the first time in its 28-year history.

A gantry is being strapped to the suspension bridge so engineers can examine the cables for corrosion.

Dry, dehumidified air will be forced through the cables, which are made up of about 15,000 individual wires.

The move follows surveys on similar bridges where cables have been found to be damaged.

Pumps and pipes and vents will be installed along the length of the cables as part of the work.

Similar inspections on the Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh and the Severn Bridge, which links England and Wales, have revealed problems with corrosion.

Humber Bridge operations manager John Williams said: "What we want to do is control the environment within the cables to prevent any deterioration in future years.

"We found out that some of the older bridges are in fact deteriorating and so we're duty bound to try to protect ours to make sure that doesn't happen at the Humber Bridge."

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It is the first time the cables have been inspected for corrosion in the bridge's history