Bradford on Avon railway bridge set to reopen in November

Work on the road over rail bridge in St Margaret’s Street is at least six months behind schedule following several technical challenges that have arisen during the course of the project.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We’re on track to reopen the road at the end of November, following the replacement of the railway bridge in Bradford-on-Avon.

“The main engineering side of the project is now complete and we will be finishing the brickwork and reinstating the road over the next few weeks before the bridge reopens to traffic.

“This project has been technically challenging and complex, and we’d like to thank residents for their patience while the work has been ongoing.”

Network Rail has confirmed that work on the rail bridge in Bradford on Avon is nearing completion. (Image: Network Rail)

The bridge east of Bradford on Avon railway station is being replaced owing to its poor condition, which meant that it wasn’t economical to repair and a full replacement was needed.

The replacement was originally scheduled to take six months from September 2022, with a full road closure in place throughout, alongside a partial closure of St Margaret’s Place public right of way.

But the technical challenges encountered by the project team meant they have taken much longer to complete the work

The issues that arose include the availability of specialist contractors who could divert utilities, periods of industrial action by rail unions, the extremely cold temperatures experienced last winter, a need for redesign work, and an issue with the pouring of concrete.

The project update recently posted by Octavius. (Image: Trevor Porter)

Octavius recently posted an update on its cill beams installation, telling residents: “Over the last few weeks, we have been working to ensure that these cill beams and ballast walls are cast well, doing rigorous quality checks to ensure this key element will support the community for years to come.”

Mike Contopoulos, Network Rail’s project director for buildings and civils, said: “The project to replace the bridge is one of the last in our region to be carried out under the current system for employing and working alongside contractors.

“Our new model, which will begin next year, will mitigate the kind of issues we have experienced at Bradford on Avon by enabling us to work collaboratively with high-quality, expert, trusted supply chain partners to design, develop and deliver the projects we need to achieve great outcomes for passengers, freight, and funders.”