Two-way communications have always presented challenges, nowhere more so than either side of England’s Humber Estuary. For over a century, plans to connect the two banks of the river were beset by logistical and financial problems. Finally, in 1981 after almost a decade of construction work, the longest suspension bridge in the world was opened by Her Majesty the Queen, revitalising the region’s industry and tourism.

Now, thirty years later, the bridge is only the 5th longest in the world and is in need of continual “pro–active maintenance” using the latest technologies. As part of this maintenance programme, local Entel dealership, Radphone, has worked closely with the Bridge Master to ensure that vital radio contact along the entire length of the bridge provides fail–safe communications at all times.

Teams of engineers on gantries suspended from the bridge cables use their Entel HX483 UHF portables to coordinate operations as they install a pressure–injection system to banish corrosive elements affecting the spun–cables that support the carriageways below. The radios were chosen by the bridge authorities for their compact size, reliability and their large illuminated LCD screens. Using the latest Lithium–ion battery technology, Entel’s HX400 radios are also capable of delivering long duty cycles from a single charge.

This is just the latest civil engineering project to recognise the benefits of using Entel’s leading edge radio technology in situations where operational efficiency and safety cannot be compromised.