An historic stone bridge providing a key link between Sedbergh and Dent in the Yorkshire Dales has been restored to its former glory.
Cumbria County Council has delivered the project to secure permanent repairs to Millthrop Bridge, near Sedbergh.
The repairs were required after the bridge stonework sustained significant damage due to the impact of a heavy goods vehicle in October 2019.
Work started on 8 June 2020 and had been expected to take up to eight weeks to complete, subject to weather conditions, safe working requirements to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus and securing the necessary listed structure approvals.
In fact the repair works were fully completed in less than half that time – just under four weeks – and Millthrop Bridge was reopened to all traffic on Friday 3 July 2020.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council cabinet member for Highways and Transport, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to complete these repairs and reopen the bridge much sooner than expected, keeping disruption to a minimum for the local community.
“I’d like to thank our contractors for cracking on with the job and getting it done so quickly. I’d also like to thank the local community for their patience and forbearance while the bridge was closed, and to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority for their support and co-operation throughout this project.”
Cllr Nick Cotton, Cumbria County Council Local Member for Sedbergh and a Member of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “I’m delighted Millthrop Bridge is open again and looking back to its best. We’ve been blessed with fine weather while the repairs were carried out, and the contractors have been working longer during the day, making the most of the dry conditions and extended daylight hours.
“From the National Park Authority’s perspective, we’ve been really impressed by the work of the contractors, Metcalfe Civil Engineering from Penrith, and the way the project was managed. It was particularly pleasing that the parapet sections were restored using a ‘hot lime’ mortar mix from Eden Lime. It’s so important to avoid cement-based mixes on old structures such as Millthrop Bridge.”
The main contractors for the bridge repairs project were Metcalfe’s Plant Hire and predominately Eden Stonework.
Millthrop Bridge is a listed structure and is believed to date back to the early 18th Century.
