Belle Vue Railway Bridgež Shrewsbury

Press release - 9 August 2007

Traffic lights which have recently been erected at Belle Vue Railway Bridge in Shrewsbury are likely to have to remain in place until some time in September for safety reasons.

The bridge, which carries Hereford Road over the Shrewsbury to Welshpool railway, was damaged on 14 July as a result of a traffic accident.

Several large stones have been pushed backwards in the bridge’s eastern parapet wall to the extent that engineers fear that it may no longer be strong enough to stop vehicles from leaving the road in the event of another accident. Traffic lights have therefore been erected to keep vehicles away from that side of the bridge until the parapet can be repaired.

Because the bridge crosses a live railway, safety reasons dictate that the repair can only be carried out when no trains are running. The county council is therefore liaising with Network Rail to see when this can be done.

At present no firm dates have been given by Network Rail; however, it is estimated that it will be possible to carry out the work some time in September.

John Williams, Shropshire County Council’s principal bridge engineer, said: “It is appreciated that the traffic lights at Belle Vue Railway Bridge are causing delays for travellers and that queuing traffic is causing inconvenience to properties adjacent to the bridge. We are working with Network Rail to complete the work as soon as possible”.

The county council will be seeking to reclaim the cost of the repairs from the insurers of the person responsible for the damage.

Ends

For further information, call John Williams, Principal Bridge Engineer, on (01743) 252519.
For media contact, call Laura Owen, Communications Officer, Economy & Environment on (01743) 253318.