Major repairs to a Grade II listed bridge on a key route in Yorkshire is expected to be completed within weeks by a Durham contractor.
The historic Bubwith bridge, which carries the A163 over the River Derwent, was hit by a car in September 2022, causing significant damage to the headwall and parapet. County Durham contractor Esh Construction, which is delivering the project on behalf of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, started a 15-week scheme in July to carry out emergency repair and strengthening works to the structure, which lies on the main route of the A163 linking North and East Yorkshire.
The company is now at the half way point, with the next phase involving specialist excavation works allow steel anchors and concrete infill to be installed to further strengthen the structure. Originally built in 1798 and a grade II listed structure, all repairs to Bubwith bridge have to be sympathetic to the existing bridge and its surroundings.
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Esh Construction said the project is due to be completed at the end of October. Steven Garrigan, divisional director for Esh Construction’s civil engineering division, said: “We are pleased with progress to date and remain on schedule. We understand the strain the closure of the bridge is having on the local area and as such made a commitment to procure local suppliers and sub-contractors where possible to do so given the specialist nature of some of the trades required. I am delighted to report that more than half of the contract value has been re-invested within 20 miles of the site.
“While we have overcame any obstacles so far to allow us to remain on programme, we would like to remind everyone that the risk of uncovering further structural issues still remains high, but we are working collaboratively with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to ensure they are fully informed every step of the way.”
Adam Holmes, director of infrastructure and facilities at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “We are pleased with the progress of the repair and strengthening works on this bridge project. We’d like to thank Esh Construction for being so accommodating with its work schedules to help speed up this work so we could plan for the bridge to be reopened sooner, and for its support of local businesses during this scheme.”
