Dear All

I refer to my previous correspondence and undertaking to keep people advised of progress.

Over the past week, various residents have contacted me anticipating that I would be in a position to confirm that a bailey bridge would be ordered this week. I need to up-date you and clarify the position to avoid any misunderstandings. The current position is as follows:

Network Rail [NR] told the meeting in October that they would provide an answer to the Council with regard to their analysis in 10-15 working days which expired last Thursday.

Whilst they tentatively accepted the design for the bailey bridge towards the end of last week, they qualified their finding, requiring that the Council provides more data in connection with the possible effect of the proposed bailey bridge on the abutments. NR must then assess this additional information before confirming that the proposals are fully satisfactory to them. This data is now being compiled from previous surveys and will be given to NR as soon as possible.

Whilst this has been going on and acknowledging the need for even light traffic to be allowed over the bridge at the earliest opportunity, engineers have been working on the possibility of allowing light vehicles over the bridge, subject to it being safe to do so.  A route has been devised that could be used (following the less deteriorated beams) and the details have been passed to NR for their approval.  Subject to that approval, we hope to be able to allow light vehicles (up to 3 tonnes) over the bridge under traffic signal control in about a fortnight from now."

I fully appreciate that the continuing closure of the bridge is causing substantial frustration to everyone together with economic harm to businesses whilst on the surface it seems that nothing is apparently being done. However, challenging analysis is still being carried out daily as it is essential for the tests to be fully evaluated to ensure that the proper solution is found and implemented. 

Hopefully, you will appreciate that an order for the bridge cannot be issued until the design and specification is fully accepted and this may well take up to shortly before Christmas.

Yours sincerely

Brian Wilcox (Cllr)
Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation