Repairs to historic bridge over River Derwent reach half way point

Major repairs to an 18th century bridge are progressing on schedule according to North of England contractor, Esh Construction, which is delivering the project on behalf of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

A 15-week scheme to deliver emergency repair and strengthening works to Bubwith Bridge got underway in July after the stone 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.

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 pleased to report that more than half of the contract value has been re-invested within 20 miles of the site. 

“While we have overcome 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 with East Riding of Yorkshire Council to ensure they are fully informed.”

Adam Holmes, director of infrastructure and facilities at the 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.”

Additional work to be delivered in the coming weeks includes the installation of a vehicle restraint system to prevent any future damage of a similar nature, as well as kerbing, ducting, surfacing and road marking.

The bridge was originally built in 1798 and is a grade II listed structure. The project is due to complete at the end of October 2023.