The return and reopening of a metal road bridge in Beverley is to be slightly delayed after engineers carrying out vital improvement work uncovered new hidden defects.
East Riding of Yorkshire Council is investing £1m to upgrade the 70-year-old Weel Bridge, which carries traffic over the River Hull, between Beverley and the village of Weel.
In April, the 20-tonne structure was hoisted from its bearings and transported to Sheffield for specialist refurbishment by council contractor Esh Construction.
However, as the work progressed, engineers uncovered crucial new issues within the aluminium structure, which have been caused by corrosion over the years.
Extra repairs and safety checks are now needed, delaying the project by around four weeks.
Additional time had already been factored into the original schedule for issues, but the newly discovered damage was completely unforeseen.
The contractor has also experienced some supply chain issues because of the hidden faults.
Therefore, the bridge is now due to return and reopen to the public in August, rather than in July as originally scheduled.
Councillor Paul West, East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s cabinet member for environment and transport, said: “We are sorry not to be able to reopen the bridge as we planned in July, but there's no way we can avoid this. These extra defects found need to be repaired before we can return it to Beverley.
"These issues were hidden from sight when the initial inspections were carried out when the bridge was still in place.
"Our contractor is committed to keeping this delay as short as possible. It has already arranged for its staff to work longer hours and to accelerate progress on this scheme, while making sure that quality and safety remain a priority.
"We have to make sure the bridge is completely safe and sound before we can let people use it again, and I hope people will understand that and bear with us for a little longer."
The delay will also mean the nearby Weel Household Waste Recycling site will remain closed until the bridge returns, because of access issues.
Residents are asked to continue to use the nearby household waste recycling sites at Hornsea, Driffield, Humberfield at North Ferriby or Market Weighton/Holme on Spalding Moor instead.
Traffic
The temporary closure of the route will remain in place, meaning traffic won’t have access to Grovehill Road in Beverley from Weel Road, and vice versa.
Traffic to and from Weel will be diverted along Weel Road and the A1035 Bridlington to Beverley road, until the work is completed.
Improvements
The major overhaul currently being carried out is designed to strengthen and repair the bridge, improve safety and access for traffic, and extend its life.
The work will also include the installation of a modern operating system and the creation of a new dedicated shared path across it for pedestrians and cyclists.
While the bridge is off site, the contractor is taking advantage of the road closure to straighten the approach to the bridge to improve visibility and safety for vehicles, as well as the creation of a new shared footpath and cycleway.
