Months of delays as Ellesmere bridge shuts for work

The Beech House Canal Bridge, known locally as Red Bridge, will be closed for up to two months – but beforehand work will start on making the diversion routes wide enough for cars to pass.

The bridge, which carries the Ellesmere to Tetchill road over the Shropshire Union Canal, has been assessed as weak and will be closed from July 1.

In order to strengthen it the contractors from McPhillips will cast a new reinforced concrete saddle over the top of the bridge's arch.

Traffic will be diverted around Lee, Spunhill and the A528 but the canal and its towpath underneath will remain open as normal.

Claire Wild, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for bridge maintenance, said: "It is appreciated that the bridge closure will cause some inconvenience, particularly given that, in places, the diversion route is narrow.

"However, I hope that people can understand that the work is necessary to ensure that the bridge can continue to remain open to all traffic in the long term.

"In the meantime, everyone involved will do all that they reasonably can to reopen the bridge as soon as possible."

Before the bridge is closed to traffic, work will be carried out to build vehicle passing places along the two diversion routes.

The work between Tetchill and Newnes will start on Monday and the work on the road between Spunhill and Lee will begin the week commencing June 24.

There will be alternative routes signposted throughout the preparation work as Shropshire Council said drivers using these roads will experience "long construction-related delays".

During the work on the bridge a temporary 30mph speed restriction will be introduced on the A528 road at the Spunhill junction.

Coaches taking pupils to holiday courses at Ellesmere College will follow a different diversion to make sure narrow roads do not get blocked.

Shropshire Council said once the work is complete contractors will return in the winter to carry out repairs to the underside of the bridge.

This work will force the closure of the canal and a provisional start date of January 6 has been mooted, but not yet agreed.

In order to explain the work to residents a public meeting will be held at Ellesmere Town Hall from 7pm on Monday.

Councillors and officers will be present at this meeting to discuss any scheme-related issues.