Essential repairs to a historic bridge near Sedbergh will begin next month.
Permission was granted for the work on Straight Bridge on the A683 in 2024 and contractors will begin on Monday, March 16.
The repairs will be carried out over five consecutive days and the bridge will be closed from Monday March 16 to Friday March 20 between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
The project will mainly focus on masonry repairs to the bridge’s arch barrel, using a heritage lime mortar mix approved by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to ensure conservation standards are met for the Grade II-listed structure.
The work is expected to be complete by 2.30pm on Friday March 20 subject to weather conditions suitable for lime mortar curing.
Emergency vehicle access will be maintained throughout, and all emergency services will be notified in advance.
Two signed diversion routes will be available:
- Motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A683 Sedbergh, A685 Tebay, M6 and the A684.
- Non‑motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A684 Sedbergh, U856 Kendal, A685 Tebay, and A685 Kirkby Stephen.
Westmorland & Furness councillor Peter Thornton, cabinet member for highways and ICT, said: “The council recognises that this closure will cause some inconvenience; however, we have planned the work to minimise disruption, scheduling the closure within school hours and outside the busiest travel times.
“The repairs must be carried out from the bridge deck to reduce environmental impact and ensure the safety of the workforce, which requires closing the bridge while the team is on site working from an underbridge unit.
“This is essential maintenance on a historic structure to ensure the bridge and road remain safe for all highway users.”
