Repair work set to start on Bidford Bridge with hopes of late November opening
BIDFORD Bridge could be open to traffic again by the end of November, if all goes according to plan.
Warwickshire County Council said repair work is due to start after the structure was damaged by an Uber driver who crashed and wedged a Toyota Prius on the Scheduled Ancient Monument.
Engineers have been inspecting the damage to the parapet and cutwater – a large crack could be seen on part of the bridge – following the incident on 10th August and have sourced specialist stonemasons to carry out the work.
Other maintenance work on the bridge will be carried out at the same time, WCC said, adding that the estimated finish at the end of November is subject to weather and river levels.
The bridge will remain closed with a diversion in place until the work in finished. However, the traffic on the diversionary route will also have to cope with some roadworks – and a road closure.
National Grid is starting work on Barton Road to install a new underground electricity cable.
Work will start on 23th September with traffic lights for one week followed by a two-week closure of Barton Road starting on 30th September.
A new diversion route will be put in place, WCC said.
Cllr Jan Matecki, portfolio holder for transport and planning at Warwickshire County Council, said: “We know that people have been wondering when the work would be carried out and I can assure commuters that there has been a lot of work going on to get repairs done as quickly as possible and reopen the road.
“We are committed to supporting businesses and the message that the town is open is paramount. A request to upgrade signs, emphasising that it is business as usual, on various approaches to Bidford's High Street has been actioned.
“I would like to extend our thanks to adjacent landowners and the parish council who have provided space and access around the bridge to co-ordinate repairs. That will be critical in getting work done as quickly as possible.”
The full cost of the bridge repair work is currently not known, WCC said. However a spokesperson told the Herald: “We will be chasing recovery of the costs.”
