Works paving the way for construction of the new Pooley Bridge are now underway, marking another key milestone in the £5m scheme.
Cumbria County Council is delivering the replacement bridge project to create an iconic new structure which will be in keeping with the surrounding area.
Key stakeholders including the local community were involved in the design of the new structure, which will be the first stainless steel road bridge in the UK.
The new 128-feet long single span structure will allow access over the River Eamont for vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians. It has been designed to be more resilient to future extreme weather events, after the original bridge was washed away during Storm Desmond.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m delighted that preparatory works have now started on site, which marks another important milestone in this exciting project. We’ve worked closely with the local community in developing the design for the new bridge and the final design looks outstanding.”
Enabling works started on site on 15 May and will initially consist of setting up a compound for the main contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering and creating replacement car parking areas in the village.
The temporary road bridge will remain in place while the enabling works are carried out. A temporary footbridge for access in and out of the village will then be in place throughout construction works on a new permanent road bridge. These works are scheduled to start in October 2019, after the peak holiday season.
The works to rebuild the bridge have been planned in a way to minimise disruption to the local community, businesses and tourism in the area, whilst this exciting project is completed. Pooley Bridge will remain open for business throughout the construction period.
Details of how the bridge has been designed along with history of Pooley Bridge and upcoming events as well as progress on the bridge works can be found at: cumbria.gov.uk/pooleybridge/
