Farlow Bridge repairs to start

Work to repair Farlow Bridge, which carries the Farlow to Hardwick Forge road over the Farlow Brook, is due to start on Monday 11 November 2013 and is expected to last for up to a fortnight.

The work will involve coring holes through the arch barrel to enable stainless steel reinforcing bars to be inserted into it and grouted in place.

Unfortunately, when the work starts, it will be necessary to close the bridge to traffic from Mondays to Fridays for a period of up to a fortnight.  The bridge will be open as usual during the intervening weekend, beginning Saturday 16 November.

The bridge closures are necessary partly to ensure the safety of the contractor’s workforce, and partly to keep the weight of vehicles off the bridge until the holes cored in the arch barrel to receive the reinforcing bars have been grouted up.

When the bridge is closed, traffic will be diverted via Norton and Hinton.

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

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

“It is appreciated that the proposed closures will cause some inconvenience, and everyone involved will do all that they reasonably can to keep them to a minimum.”

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

“Farlow Bridge is one of many in the area which suffered damage during the 2012 summer flooding.  Locally we are grateful for the continued support for the necessary repairs.”