Catch net and straw bale hung from iconic Thames bridge

An iconic footbridge over the Thames in London has been fitted with a catch net… and a straw bale ahead of deck repair work.

The Millennium Bridge is getting its deck repaired by FM Conway, funded by the charity City Bridge Foundation, which owns and maintains the iconic structure. The central span of this bridge is a navigable channel, and items like tools or debris dropped during construction could hit passing vessels, or cause pollution. The 250m debris net installed on the soffit by technicians from access contractor CAN will guard against this.

During repair work to the Millennium Bridge, a technician from access contractor CAN installs a catch net beneath the deck. Credit: RSK

But what about the straw bale? It’s there because of a Port of London Thames bylaw, which requires bridge works to be flagged with a bundle of straw by day and a white light by night.