Essential repairs to Prescott Bridge

Essential work to repair Prescott Bridge, which carries the Prescott to Farlow road over the River Rea, is to start in July 2013. 

The work will involve repairing a bulging riverside training wall and strengthening the bridge’s arch barrel by installing stainless steel reinforcing bars into it. 

To access the underside of the arch barrel, the contractor will be building a scaffold platform on the road. This scaffold will then cantilever out and under the bridge. 

Unfortunately, due to the narrow nature of the bridge, it will be necessary to close it to traffic in order to carry out the proposed work safely. The bridge will therefore be closed to traffic for up to five and a half weeks starting on Wednesday 24 July 2013. 

When the bridge is closed, traffic will be diverted via Farlow, Stottesdon and Walton. 

Access over the bridge for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists will remain available throughout the proposed work. 

Claire Wild, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member responsible for bridge maintenance said: 

‘‘This is essential work which needs to be carried out to ensure that the bridge can remain functional in the long term. 

“It is appreciated that the bridge closure will cause inconvenience, and everyone involved will do all that they can to reopen it as soon as reasonably possible.” 

Madge Shineton, a local Shropshire Councillor for Cleobury Mortimer, said: 

“We urge everyone to be patient; all local people know how much damage was done during last year’s floods in the area, and the council wants to get these essential routes safe during, hopefully, the summer weather.”