Cleveland Bridge in Bath is set to reopen on Monday 25th October, but will be restricted to vehicles under two metres in width while repair work continues.
Underneath Cleveland Bridge | Photo © B&NES Council
Traffic light controls and a two-metre width restriction are being put in place as part of a staged reopening of the bridge.
Pedestrians, cyclists and cars will be able to use the bridge which is undergoing extensive repairs.
However, due to the nature of the work, Bath & North East Somerset Council has said that vehicles over two-metres wide including HGVs will not be able to use the route.
Temporary supports have been installed under the bridge deck to allow sections of the bridge to be repaired.
An exception has been made for emergency vehicles, which will be able to access the bridge via a gate specifically implemented for their use.
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport said: “We are keen to minimise disruption and to enable a staged reopening of the bridge, so temporary supports have been installed which will allow work to continue and some traffic to cross.
“During this phase it is critical that HGVs are kept off the bridge and so a physical width restriction of two metres will be introduced from Monday October 25.”
Diversion routes for all other vehicles and through traffic on the A36 via South Gloucestershire are available on the council’s Cleveland Bridge webpage.
Work on the £3.8 million project to repair and safeguard the Grade II* listed structure began in May under temporary traffic signals before the bridge was closed to all vehicle traffic on 28th June.
The extent of the work includes repairs to the bridge deck and concrete supporting structure, along with repainting of the cast iron arches and parapets and waterproofing to prevent future weather damage.
The project is being funded through the Government’s Highways Challenge Fund.
Bath MP Wera Hobhouse said: “I’m very pleased that Cleveland Bridge has partially reopened and I congratulate everyone involved in making this happen.
“It’s a testament to the hard work of Bath and North East Somerset Council. This is truly a significant milestone in an extremely complicated project.
“It is noticeable that the bridge is not open to HGVs and it’s my belief that this should be permanent. Cleveland Bridge is a Grade 2* listed bridge and simply cannot handle the weight of HGVs.
“In Bath, we are stewards of a UNESCO World Heritage asset and we must work together to avoid any further damage. Cleveland Bridge will never be suited to HGV traffic.”
