A South Cumbrian bridge, closed in August due to safety concerns, will have to be demolished.
Buckbarrow Bridge provides access to the Corney Fell road and connects Duddon Bridge and Corney village, had to be shut because of significant structural concerns, prompting fears of a potential collapse under vehicle weight.
Cumberland Council said today: “Following an extensive assessment and options appraisal, it has been concluded that repairing the existing bridge is not feasible.
“Therefore, the preferred course of action is to replace the bridge. A preferred replacement structure has been selected based on factors such as cost, project duration, and environmental impact.
“Further hydrology and scour assessments, to understand how the river flows, its speed and potential scour risk, will be conducted to facilitate the replacement process.
“Regrettably, the demolition of Buckbarrow Bridge is unavoidable. Given the complexity of the task, particularly following the discovery of coal tar in the bridge, additional support structures are necessary.
“As the bridge area is frequented by nesting birds, measures have been taken to ensure their safety, with suitable nesting arrangements factored into the design of the proposed new structure.”
The demolition of the existing structure will be carried out over the next few months.
The timeline for the replacement bridge project is as follows, Cumberland Council said:
- Mid-April: receipt of topographical survey and hydrological assessment results.
- Mid-May: tender issued for the design and build project.
- End of July: awarding of the contract for the design and replacement bridge project.
- September to November: detailed design
- June 2025: installation of new bridge
Due to the in river working window the new bridge will be installed in the early summer 2025.
The existing road closure will be maintained, with the diversion route along the A595 from Waberthwaite to Duddon Bridge.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said: “The council has been actively collaborating with local community and interest groups.
“We fully understand their frustrations regarding the access over Corney Fell Road, but sadly Buckbarrow Bridge has been deemed unsafe, and therefore we will need to replace it.
“Given that the replacement costs are not included within the current three-year programme, I am pleased to have the support from the council’s executive in reallocating funding to allow this scheme to be completed.”
