The Twin Sales Bridge features two triangular lifting leaves which, when raised, form the iconic shape of a yacht’s sails and thus reflect the maritime history of the coastal town. It forms part of a landmark regeneration project for the Borough of Poole, providing access to a large regeneration site in the south-west as well as a much-needed additional harbour crossing to ease traffic congestion around the town.

As the Borough of Poole’s resident CCTV contractor, Quadrant Security Group (QSG) was the first choice to supply and install CCTV equipment for the new bridge and so it specified six Bosch stainless steel MIC cameras, as Russell Kitson, Project Manager, QSG, explains: “The environment of the Twin Sails Bridge demands a robust and reliable model of CCTV camera to work effectively in challenging conditions.

“We have worked with Bosch cameras on multiple occasions and know them well,” he continues, “so we recognised that the ruggedness and high quality of Bosch’s MIC series would be particularly suitable for a project of this nature.”

The Bosch stainless steel MIC series is an extremely reliable and high quality ruggedised PTZ camera and has been precision engineered to meet exacting standards. Rated to an industry leading IP68 liquid protection, its grade 316L stainless steel housing has enhanced corrosion-resistant properties that offer protection in the harshest of environments, including marine applications such as the Twin Sails Bridge where the high salt content in the air can dramatically reduce the lifespan of traditional camera units.

“During working hours all six cameras transmit images back to the quayside control room, from where the bridge is operated, and out of hours the CCTV footage is sent to the Civic Centre, which shares responsibility for bridge control,” says Russell. “Two of the cameras are positioned to monitor vessels passing underneath the bridge; one views vessels coming into the Poole basin and one watches those going back out to sea. The other four cameras are positioned on top of high level bridge totems and survey the traffic and pedestrians using the bridge, serving as a safety precaution as it is raised and lowered.”

The MIC series uses brushless motor technology to enable quiet yet reliable operation, with full 360-degree continuous rotation pan and 270- degree tilt control for exceptional viewing capability. Small increment pan/tilt speeds give the user precise control, which is fundamental for tracking subjects when fully zoomed in. Furthermore, it is compatible with virtually any control equipment, and can seamlessly integrate with the vast majority of security systems.

Paul Wong, Managing Director of Bosch, says that this is a very important project for the town of Poole: “The Borough of Poole has clearly invested a great deal in the design and construction of this new bridge, and Bosch is pleased to have been able to support the project and to supply an ideal solution for the coastal conditions.”