We've completed repairs to Royal Oak Swing Bridge

With the repairs requiring a road closure, the bridge reopened on 25 April.

Time taking its toll

The increased weight in vehicles over the years had taken its toll on the condition of the bridge, which is one of 13 originally built across the canal, mostly for farmers to access their fields, and is the only one to carry a public highway. Over the years the original bridge has been demolished and reconstructed.

The repairs included an upgrade of the electrical instrumentation, software and hydraulics, which control and drive the bridge to open and close, as well as the bridge bearing and support structure.

We removed, refurbished and re-installed the bridge, using a 300-tonne crane, before reopening the bridge to traffic.

Futureproofing the bridge

Our Project Manager, Lisa Shaw, explained: "We've been able to successfully carry out a complete upgrade and repairs to fully refurbish the bridge and futureproof it for many years to come.

“The bridge was lifted out and sent away to be stripped down to bare metal, a structural survey was undertaken, which identified remedial works were needed to be carried out on the structure. We replaced the timber deck and bearer beam, bearing plates and several mechanical and electrical components. The bridge has also been treated, repainted and returned to site as a completely refurbished unit.

“A new control pedestal has been installed and relocated to the towpath end of the bridge, to improve the view of the waterway for boaters. The traffic management systems on the eastern and western approaches have also been updated and include barriers and flashing warning lights and a siren to help improve road traffic control.

"We are grateful to the local people, boaters, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians for their patience during the disruption while the works were taking place, which took longer than originally planned. However, our extensive work to upgrade the structure has given us the chance to reopen a stronger, safer and more resilient bridge."