Historic Cleveland Bridge Repairs To Begin This Spring

A £3.8m major engineering project to undertake bridge repairs on Cleveland Bridge in Bath is set to start in the middle of April.

A £3.8m major engineering project to undertake bridge repairs on Cleveland Bridge in Bath is set to start in the middle of April.

The Grade II listed bridge was set to undergo the major repairs in the summer of 2020. However, due to the effects of government guidance on the construction industry, it was eventually pushed back a further eight months.

Surveys carried out by the local Bath & North East Somerset Council revealed during routine maintenance that the historic bridge is now in need of major structural repairs, although the exact extent cannot be confirmed until the bridge is closed to vehicles in April.

A temporary ban on heavy goods vehicles weight 18 tonnes or more has been in force since January 2020.

The bridge will still be open for pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles, with diversion routes being signposted from the M4, Bristol, Chippenham and Warminster.

Cleveland Bridge, originally built in 1826, has become a major part of the road network, carrying 17,000 vehicles on average every day as part of a link between the A46 and A36.

Part of the delay has been caused by its listed building status, which requires consent from the local authority in connection with heritage groups, which was granted in October 2020.

The historic bridge was initially built on the sight of a Roman ferry crossing and used a mix of historic bath stone and cast iron for the bridge’s arch.

Similar to other historic bridges, this has caused a lot of issues as the bridge has aged, with restoration and concrete support trusses being added in the 1920s.

The renovations are expected to take seven months, with the council expecting a phased opening of the bridge by August 2021.