Shrewsbury railway bridge maintenance work to be extended
Maintenance work on the Castle Foregate and Great Western railway under bridges in Shrewsbury will continue until 8 November [2026] to enable additional repairs to be completed safely.
The work – being carried out Network Rail and their contractor Amco Giffen – was originally due to finish this month (September).
The work includes cleaning, repairs and repainting of the bridge structures, together with essential steelwork repairs and the installation of new pigeon-proofing mesh beneath the bridges.
Since the scheme began, additional steelwork repairs were identified as being necessary before scaffolding could be fully erected and work progressed as originally planned.
As a result, the programme has been extended to allow these additional repairs to be completed safely and to ensure the long-term integrity of the structures.
The bridges will remain open to vehicular traffic during daytime hours. However, to allow the contractor to safely undertake the remaining steel repairs, install the new pigeon-proofing mesh and subsequently dismantle the scaffolding, further temporary road closures will be required.
These closures will continue to affect Castle Foregate, Cross Street and Howard Street. During all closures, signed diversion routes will be in place and access for emergency services will be maintained at all times.
For the duration of the work, the footpath along Castle Foregate will remain closed to pedestrians. A signed pedestrian diversion route will continue to be provided, directing pedestrians to the footpath on the opposite side of the road.
To facilitate the remaining steelwork repairs, installation of the new pigeon-proofing mesh and subsequent dismantling of the scaffolding, further road closures will be required on Castle Foregate, Cross Street and Howard Street.
Early-morning closures between 12.30am and 7am will continue on the following Sundays:
- 13 September
- 20 September
- 27 September
- 4 October
- 11 October
- 18 October
- 25 October
- 1 November
- 8 November
These closures provide the longest continuous period when no trains are running and are required to enable the remaining steelwork repairs to be undertaken safely. The closures on 25 October, 1 November and 8 November will also be utilised to facilitate the phased dismantling of the scaffolding.
Overnight closures between 8pm and 6am will also be required on the following dates:
For installation of the new pigeon-proofing mesh:
- Monday 28 September to Thursday 1 October
- Monday 5 October to Thursday 8 October
- Monday 12 October to Thursday 15 October
For the phased dismantling of the scaffolding:
- Sunday 18 October to Monday 19 October
- Sunday 25 October to Monday 26 October
- Sunday 1 November to Monday 2 November
- Sunday 8 November to Monday 9 November
Whilst every effort is being made to complete the works in accordance with the revised programme, a further update will be provided should any unforeseen circumstances arise that necessitate changes to the dates outlined above.
Residents, businesses and the emergency services will be notified of the revised programme, and updated advance warning signage will be installed on site.
