‘Emergency’ closes Colchester bridge immediately due to …
A road bridge near Colchester has been closed to vehicles and pedestrians due to its deteriorating condition. Engineers at Essex Highways said "new concerns" had been raised at Boxted Bridge on Wick Road.
The bridge will remain closed until further notice with an emergency road closure prohibiting access to the bridge. The bridge was built in 1897 and Essex County Council previously expressed a preference to demolish the bridge and replace it with a slightly wider structure that would "allow for the safe movement of fire engine vehicles at the junction".
An inspection earlier in the week found "new concerns" over its "deteriorating condition and loading capacity", Essex Highways said. Inspectors found evidence of heavy corrosion and missing rivets in the steel structure.
A statement from Essex County Council's Highways team said: "The closure of the bridge, which is situated on Wick Road at the junction with Lower Farm Road and Sky Hall Hill in Boxted, will take immediate effect while highway engineers assess the situation and consider next steps.
"The bridge will be fully closed to all vehicles and pedestrians while our investigations continue, with no access permitted to pass through the closed section of the road until further notice. We fully appreciate that this road closure will be inconvenient to those who regularly use the route however as a responsible highways authority we must put public safety first while our investigations continue."
(Image: Essex Highways)
They added: "Please take additional care when travelling through the area, observing road signs in place. Further updates will be shared as soon as details become available."
Alternative routes are available via:
- Thorington Street, Lower Street, Higham Road, Stratford Road, Ipswich Road, Low Lift Cottage Road, Docuras Farm Road, Water Lane and vice versa (with access only into Church Street, Sky Hall Hill and Wick Road).
- Skye Hall Hill, Dedham Road, Cooks Hill, Parsonage Hill, Church Road, Burnt Dick Hill, Park Road, Horkesley Hill, Bear Street, Birch Street, Stoke Road, Nayland Road, Church Street, Park Street, Park Road and vice versa (with access only into Church Street, Sky Hall Hill and Wick Road).