Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, caused by an HGV colliding with the bridge, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete.

Work is continuing with masonry repairs to the downstream end of the bridge. Damaged stone has been broken back and stone recovered from the upstream parapet is being used to prepare repairs to the stones.

Previous poor cement repairs have been broken back to allow for repointing with lime mortar.

Whilst the bridge is being repaired the road is closed to traffic, although currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. Once work starts to remove the surfacing of the bridge and install new waterproofing this access will be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth. Although largely successful, a number of issues have been highlighted during the first weeks of the closure.

• Confusion with signage at Rudge Heath and Sutton Maddocks Islands.
• People ignoring the diversion route and ‘rat running’ through Worfield and Badger and having no regard to those living along the route.
• People following the diversion route and their ‘sat navs’ diverting them through Worfield.

The following additional signage has been arranged to try to alleviate these issues.

Signing for businesses

Additional signing has already been erected at Rudge Heath and Sutton Maddocks Islands. These signs tell drivers which business are open as usual and will direct drivers to those businesses beyond the road closure to follow the designated diversion route.

Additional signing at roundabouts for through traffic

The following additional signing has been erected to clarify that through traffic should follow the diversion.

Sutton Maddocks Island

Additional signing instructing ‘ Sat Nav Users – Follow Diversion for Dudley/ Wolverhampton’

In addition the existing road sign for Dudley have been obscured.

Rudge Heath/ Royal Oak Island

Additional signs instructing ‘Sat Nav Users – Follow Diversion for Telford'

In addition the existing road signs for Telford have been obscured.

Additional signing for Badger

The following signs will be erected on 13 and 14 August 2018 with the aim of slowing traffic using the lanes through Badger.

Six more ‘No Diverted Traffic’ signs at ends of side roads on B4176.

20 ‘REDUCE SPEED NOW/ Max Speed 20’  be mounted on existing sign posts/ poles or timber posts at intervals along the route.  

Six ‘Pedestrians in Road’ signs (red and white) through Badger.

In addition the road closure will be reinforced at the Stableford Junction near TFM and at Chesterton Cross roads to prevent people continuing to the site of the closure and using the adjacent lanes.

Additional signing for Worfield

The following signs will be erected on 13 and 14 August 2018 with the aim of slowing traffic using the lanes through Worfield.

16 ‘REDUCE SPEED NOW/ Max Speed 20’ to be mounted on existing sign posts/ poles or timber posts at intervals along the route.

The effect of these additional signs on alleviating traffic will be continually monitored and maintained over the following weeks.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, caused by an HGV colliding with the bridge, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete.

Work is continuing with masonry repairs to the downstream end of the bridge. Repairs have been undertaken to damaged stone at a low level with previous poor cement repairs and pointing having been removed. These areas have been repointed in more sympathetic lime mortar and the road has remained closed to traffic to protect the workforce working at a low level from any potential hazards from vehicles using the bridge above.  

Scaffold has been erected to allow similar repairs to be undertaken at a higher level and will require the workforce to work in the road, in particular to dismantle and rebuild an unstable section of parapet to the downstream end. The road remains closed for the safety of the workforce, although currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. Once work starts to remove the surfacing of the bridge and install new waterproofing, this access will be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed, vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth. Previous issues have hopefully been resolved with additional information signs at each end of the closure.

We've tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving. The effects of this are being monitored.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion. However this is not being helped by deliberate vandalism of the diversion signing, particularly at Chesterton cross roads.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, caused by an HGV colliding with the bridge, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete.

Repairs have been undertaken to the downstream end of the bridge including repairing damaged stone at a low level and rebuilding part of the parapet. Previous poor cement repairs have also been removed and reinstated with lime mortar.

Work was initially undertaken at low level with the road closed to traffic to protect the workforce from vehicles using the bridge above. The road has remained closed whilst work is undertaken to the parapet which requires the workforce to work in the road.

Work will continue this week to finish these repairs before work is switched to the upstream end to repair damage caused by the HGV collision.

This will require the road to remain closed, , although currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. Once work starts to remove the surfacing of the bridge and install new waterproofing this access will be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, previous issues have hopefully been resolved with additional information signs at each end of the closure.

The council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving. The effects of this is being monitored.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion, however this is not being helped by deliberate vandalism of the diversion signing particularly at Chesterton cross roads and Ackleton/ Kingslow crossroads.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete. The repairs involve previously planned repairs to reinstate weathered/damaged stone and recent damage caused by a HGV collision. The opportunity is also being taken to waterproof the deck of the bridge to prevent future damage to the sandstone of the bridge.

Repairs have been undertaken to the downstream end of the bridge including repairing damaged stone at a low level and rebuilding part of the parapet. Previous poor cement repairs have also been removed and reinstated with lime mortar.

Work was initially undertaken at low level with the road closed to traffic to protect the workforce from vehicles using the bridge above. The road has remained closed whilst work is undertaken to the parapet which requires the workforce to work in the road.

Work is now being undertaken from scaffolding over the river to complete works to the downstream end before work is switched to the upstream end to repair the damage caused by the HGV collision. This will require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge, although currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. Once work starts to remove the surfacing of the bridge and install new waterproofing this access will be temporarily restricted. Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, previous issues have hopefully been resolved with additional information signs at each end of the closure.

The council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving. The effects of this is being monitored. The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion, however this is not being helped by deliberate vandalism of the diversion signing particularly at Chesterton cross roads and Ackleton/Kingslow crossroads.

Whilst the closure is in place the opportunity is being taken to undertake essential maintenance works along the B4176 including surfacing repairs and gully cleaning.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, commenced on 30th July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete.

The repairs involve previously planned repairs to reinstate weathered/damaged stone and recent damage caused by a HGV collision. The opportunity is also being taken to waterproof the deck of the bridge to prevent future damage to the sandstone of the bridge.

Work to undertake planned repairs to weathered and damaged stone to the downstream end of the bridge have been largely completed. During this time the road was closed to traffic to protect the workforce from vehicles using the bridge above. The road remained closed whilst work was undertaken to the parapet which required the workforce to work in the road.

Work has now switched to the upstream end of the bridge to repair the damage caused by the HGV collision. Work is currently being undertaken to remove damaged stone and to prepare the parapet for repair. This will involve bringing in new stone which was bought in readiness for the repairs to minimise the time the bridge is closed.

The repairs to the upstream end will require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge as the workforce need to work within the road.

Currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists, however once the next phase work to install new waterproofing is started this access will have to be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, previous issues have hopefully been resolved with additional information signs at each end of the closure.

The council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving. The effects of this is being monitored.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion, however this is not being helped by deliberate vandalism of the diversion signing particularly at Chesterton cross roads and Ackleton/Kingslow crossroads.

Whilst the closure is in place the opportunity is being taken to undertake essential maintenance works along the B4176 including surfacing repairs and gully cleaning.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete. The works are due to be complete on 2 November 2018 and are currently on schedule.

The repairs involve previously planned repairs to reinstate weathered/damaged stone and recent damage caused by a HGV collision. The opportunity is also being taken to waterproof the deck of the bridge to prevent future damage to the sandstone of the bridge.

Work to undertake planned repairs to weathered and damaged stone to the downstream end of the bridge have been largely completed.

Work has now switched to the upstream end of the bridge to repair the damage caused by the HGV collision. The damaged stone has now been removed and repairs are now being undertaken to the parapet using a scaffold erected over the watercourse. This has involved bringing in large quantities of new stone which is dressed on site and installed. During this work we have discovered large areas of previous concrete repairs which have been removed to ensure the long term durability of the bridge.

The repairs to the upstream parapet require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge as the workforce need to work within the road and to allow delivery of materials.

Once work is complete to the parapet, the scaffold will be lowered to allow repairs to the upstream face of the bridge.

Currently, access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists, however once the next phase of work to install new waterproofing is started, this access will have to be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed, vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, the council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion.

Whilst the closure is in place, the opportunity is being taken to undertake essential maintenance works along the B4176 with surfacing repairs and gully cleaning having been undertaken whilst there are reduced traffic volumes on the road.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, commenced on 30 July 2018 and are due to take 14 weeks to complete. The works are due to be complete on 2 November 2018 and are currently on schedule.

The repairs involve previously planned repairs to reinstate weathered/damaged stone and recent damage caused by a HGV collision. The opportunity is also being taken to waterproof the deck of the bridge to prevent future damage to the sandstone of the bridge.

Work to undertake planned repairs to weathered and damaged stone to the downstream end of the bridge have been largely completed.

The damaged stone to the upstream end has now been removed and the extent of the damage fully assessed. New stone has been bought and repairs have commenced to repair historic damage and damage caused by the HGV collision. This involves breaking back damaged stone and inserting new repairs which are glued to the existing stone. New stones have also been prepared and have been lifted into place. Once this is complete, the new parapet stones which have been prepared off site can be lifted in.

The repairs to the upstream parapet require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge as the workforce need to work within the road and to allow delivery of materials.

Once work is complete to the parapet, the scaffold will be lowered to allow repairs to the upstream face of the bridge.

Currently, access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists, however once the next phase work to install new waterproofing is started, this access will have to be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed, vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, the council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion.

Works to repair damage at Broad Bridge near Stableford, Bridgnorth, commenced on 30 July 2018 and were due to be complete on 2 November 2018.

The repairs involve previously planned repairs to reinstate weathered/damaged stone and recent damage caused by a HGV collision. The opportunity is also being taken to waterproof the deck of the bridge to prevent future damage to the sandstone of the bridge.

Additional stone work repairs have been uncovered and additional works to install ducts for potential future traffic signals have been included. This will mean a minor delay to the works programme, although the works are still due to be complete on 7th November 2018.

All efforts will be made to minimise these delays, with weekend working and additional resources where appropriate.

All works to the downstream end of the bridge have been complete and repairs to the upstream end are well advanced. This involves building new parapets using pre-cut stone alongside stone recovered from the old parapet. This is specialist work which is being undertaken by a heritage mason in conjunction with the Council’s term maintenance contractor Kier. The work involves measuring and cutting individual stones to match the existing coursing and tie in with existing masonry. The work is also being undertaken with Lime Mortar due to the bridge’s historic status. This material takes longer to set than cement mortar.

The repairs to the upstream parapet require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge to ensure the safety of the workforce.

Currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists, however once the next phase work to install new waterproofing is started this access will have to be temporarily restricted.

Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth, the council have tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving.

The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion.

Further to the last update we confirm that the overall works programme has been delayed slightly due to unforeseen stone defects which required additional indent repairs. Additional “future proofing” works have also being undertaken to install ducts and duct boxes for potential future traffic signals at the bridge. A hardstanding area/ lay-by has also been incorporated to allow future maintenance vehicles to pull up safely next to the bridge away from the live highway.

A positive business case has been put forward to install permanent traffic lights at the bridge, based on feedback received from members of the public. However, we don't have sufficient budgets available at present to carry out these works. We'll keep members of the public informed on any future decisions regarding installation of permanent traffic lights at this site.

At present all bridge works will be completed by Saturday 3 November, subject to reasonable weather conditions, and the road closure removed. Temporary traffic lights will be installed from 3 November to 7 November to allow the hardstanding area/ lay-by to be completed. All efforts will be made to minimise these delays, with weekend working and additional resources where appropriate.

All works to the downstream end of the bridge have been complete and repairs to the upstream end are well advanced. This involves building new parapets using pre-cut stone alongside stone recovered from the old parapet. This is specialist work which is being undertaken by a heritage mason in conjunction with our term maintenance contractor Kier. The work involves measuring and cutting individual stones to match the existing coursing and tie in with existing masonry. The work is also being undertaken with lime mortar due to the bridge’s historic status. This material takes longer to set than cement mortar.

The repairs to the upstream parapet require the B4176 road to remain closed at the bridge to ensure the safety of the workforce who are working in the carriageway.

Currently access is being maintained for pedestrians and cyclists. However, access will not be available on Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 October due to surfacing operations over the bridge.

Whilst the bridge is closed vehicular traffic is being diverted via Bridgnorth. We've tried to alleviate the effects of drivers using nearby villages instead of the signed diversion by installing additional signage to encourage safer driving. The diversion signing is being checked daily by the contractor to try and avoid confusion.

We acknowledge the inconvenience that these works have caused and would like to thank local residents and businesses for their patience whilst works were being undertaken to repair the bridge. We apologise for the disruption caused by the road closure and by drivers ignoring the official diversion route and ‘rat running’ along the narrow country lanes through the villages, including Badger, Worfield and Ackleton.

We recognise the impact that this additional traffic has had on the local road network. The Shropshire Council Divisional Office staff at Bridgnorth will inspect the country lanes around these villages, and where necessary they will instruct essential pothole and patching repairs to make good any defects using our RoadMASTER machine.

Further to the last update on 25 October, we confirm that the overall works are on programme and all bridge works will be completed by Saturday 3 November.

Works currently being undertaken include constructing the lay-by, finishing of verges and ducts and white lining, with access being maintained for cyclists and pedestrians.

Once the road closure is removed on the 3 November, temporary traffic lights will be installed until 7 November to allow the hardstanding area/lay-by and signing work to be completed.

Once the road is reopened to traffic, the Shropshire Council Divisional Office staff at Bridgnorth will inspect the country lanes around these villages. Where necessary, they will instruct essential pothole and patching repairs to make good any defects using the Council’s RoadMASTER machine.

Further to the last update on 1 November, we confirm that all bridge works have been completed and the bridge is now open to traffic. Temporary traffic lights are currently in place to protect the workforce whilst they undertake minor finishing (snagging) and signing works before the traffic lights are removed. These works are due to be completed by 14 November 2018, and the bridge will then be open with traffic operating under the priority system that was in place prior to works being undertaken.

Now works have been completed our Bridgnorth Highways Division will inspect the country lanes around the villages and, where necessary, they'll instruct essential pothole and patching repairs to make good any defects using our RoadMASTER machine.