Bucks County Council recently submitted a planning application to undertake maintenance work on Marlow Bridge – the documents were quite technical and lengthy, so we asked them for a summary – here it is!
Note that the most immediate work commences this Monday 4th October, involving one or other of the footways being closed, but still fully open for traffic.
Details direct from Bucks County Council:
Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) is planning to undertake essential routine maintenance to the Grade I listed Marlow Suspension Bridge. Given the scale of the work, and the nature of some of the work, a listed building consent submission was required.
The proposed work will include a variety of routine maintenance activities, including:
- Painting of the bridge parapets and the bridge soffits (above land)
- Replacement of 5 of the 12 bearing assemblies
- Replacement of the street lighting cabling on both sides of the bridge to bring the street lighting back into service
Pending necessary approvals, the majority of the work will take place between October 2021 and early February 2022. In February 2022 strategic highway work to the A404 Westhorpe Interchange is scheduled to take place so the Marlow Bridge works will be suspended to allow the other works to be carried out. Once the A404 works are over, any outstanding maintenance works to the bridge will be completed.
Previous routine maintenance took place at the bridge in summer 2020 where Transport for Buckinghamshire painted the bridge hangers, chains and kerbs.
The initial phase of the work between October 2021 and December 2021 will be undertaken using alternative footway closures, therefore motorists will not be affected. Scaffolding systems will be erected around the base of the bridge, which will also encompass the length of footway which is receiving maintenance work at that time.
During January 2022 these working arrangements will continue, however a series of road closures will also be required in order to undertake some of the maintenance works in a safe manner. Advanced warning signs will be erected along the road in due course to warn motorists of any road closures.
