Council chiefs are importing special paint from Canada at a cost of £15,000 to spruce up and preserve a historic West Leeds bridge.
Newlay Bridge, on the edge of Bramley, is a cast iron Grade II-listed structure celebrating its 200th birthday in spring 2019.
The bridge, which has recently undergone surveys to see if it was damaged during the Boxing Day floods of 2015, needs to be repainted and waterproofed to maintain its condition.
A council report published today says:
“A “High Ratio Co-Polymerised Calcium Sulfonate Alkyd” (HRCSA) paint system has been sourced from North America that does not require blast cleaning as a preparation, and is a one coat system. Providing savings in cost and time and minimising the risks due to the lead in the existing paint.”
The report authorises expenditure of approximately £15,000 to pay Canadian company Termarust for the paint, which incorporates a penetrant that prevents future rusting in areas where rusting has occurred. The council report concludes:
“This will significantly minimise the number of future maintenance interventions required to preserve the bridge and provide significant cost-saving in the whole life maintenance.”
The council report can be read in full here.