Durham bridge to close as scaffolding comes down

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Durham bridge to close as scaffolding comes down

11:06am Thursday 5th January 2012 in Durham

AN HISTORIC bridge will be seen free from scaffolding for the first time in over a year within weeks, it has been announced.

When scaffolding went up around the 200-year-old Prebends Bridge, over the River Wear in Durham City, last February, the structure was expected to reopen after just three weeks.

However, a survey found major water erosion – casting doubt over its future – and it has been closed to vehicles ever since.

Urgent repairs have been carried out and talks are being held over a full £5m restoration project.

Now bosses at Durham Cathedral, which owns the 1776-built scheduled ancient monument, have said the scaffolding will come down over six weeks from Monday.

During this work, the bridge will be closed to pedestrians and vehicles.

Afterwards, it will reopen to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.

Bob Matthews, Durham Cathedral’s clerk of works, said: "Prebends Bridge is a much-loved landmark in the city and I am looking forward to being able to admire it again without the scaffolding in place.

"We are obviously delighted to have been able to undertake this temporary repair of the bridge but I look forward to the day when its long-term future is secured."

The urgent repairs, paid for by Durham County Council, English Heritage and the Friends of Durham Cathedral, saw the bridge injected with a silicone grout compound to stabilise its masonry.

Carol Pyrah, English Heritage’s planning director for the North-East, said: "We are pleased to have grant aided the repairs to this important historic bridge and will be working with Durham Cathedral and Durham County Council to look at how we can secure the long-term future of the bridge and take it off our Heritage at Risk register."

Councillor Neil Foster, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration and economic development, said: "We are delighted to have been able to contribute towards safeguarding this important historic structure for the foreseeable future."

The River Wear will remain open as the scaffolding is removed but river traffic will be restricted to one or two arches at various times.
 
Yeah Marine its a canny job, bet with all the beams used on the rocket and on the bridge tony must have got more than just a desk calender for xmas surely :laugh:
 
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