Major repairs will start on the historic Bubwith bridge next month and are now scheduled to take 15 weeks to complete.Intro
The shortened project has been achieved following discussions with contractors, local residents and businesses.
The £1m scheme – which needs to be carried out during a closure of the bridge – is due to begin on Monday 10 July and end in October.
However, this depends on no other urgent structural issues being encountered during the work.
The 85m long (almost 280ft) bridge was badly damaged in a road accident in September 2022, and this uncovered underlying weakness in the structure.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council needs to carry out emergency repairs and strengthening work to ensure the bridge is safe and structurally sound for the future.
Because of its scale and complexity, the original estimate for the scheme was 20 weeks. However requests to reduce the time have been taken on board and, thanks to further work between the council and its contractors, a new 15-week scheme has been agreed.
The council will continue to work with local residents, businesses and local parish and town councils, as well as schools and care providers.
The stone bridge was built in 1798 and is a Grade II listed structure. It carries the A163 road over the River Derwent, between Holme on Spalding Moor and North Duffield.
Adam Holmes, the council’s director of infrastructure and facilities, said: “The residents and business people in the Bubwith area called for the bridge repairs to be shortened – and we are pleased we’ve achieved this.
“This is thanks to successful discussions with our contractors. They have done a huge amount of work to reduce the time frame, and we are pleased that together we’ve been able to produce the new 15-week project.
“This will involve the repair team working weekends and extended hours to speed up the work.
“The repairs and strengthening are essential in order to make the structure safe and sound for the future, and we can’t do them while the bridge is open. The closure is unavoidable.
“We completely understand this will still cause major disruption and inconvenience, mainly for local residents and businesses, but we have listened to them, taken on board their concerns, and we hope this 15-week scheme will be more acceptable.
“We need to stress, however, that if the repair team uncover any further structural issues with the bridge during the work, this may extend the length of the scheme.”
[tptn_list limit=3 daily=1 hour_range=1]
Due to the age and listed status of the bridge, the repairs being carried out must be sympathetic to the existing structure and its surroundings, and require specialist contractors and materials.
The work will also include the installation of a vehicle restraint barrier to protect the bridge and the resurfacing of the road across it.
During the scheme the bridge will be closed to all users.
The council is working on ways to support residents with transport options during the closure.
A free shuttle bus, which the council has provided for residents since December, will continue until the work begins. Following the closure, the shuttle bus will connect with a nearby service bus to provide onward travel.
An official signed diversion route will be in place, which caters for all vehicles. However, local drivers will be able to find shorter, alternative routes that are suitable for their vehicles and considerate to local residents.