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Church Road reopens following works

This news article was published more than a year ago. Some of the information may no longer be accurate.

Published: 28/04/2014


The road had been closed for three weeks to allow utility companies to divert their cables and other apparatus from the old bridge to a temporary crossing point on the site.

During the works, the utility companies encountered unforeseen underground obstructions and for the water services in particular this required the manufacture of new specialist parts leading to some delays on the site.

Head of Streetcare Mark King said: “These works are part of an essential project which will see the complete replacement of Frampton Cotterell’s ageing road bridge with a new, low-maintenance structure later this summer.

“We sympathise with road users frustrated by the additional delays caused by these underground obstacles but felt that it was better to resolve the issues in one closure period rather than have to close the road again at a later date, with potential clashes with other road works in the area.

“Unfortunately what the utility companies encountered once work had begun did not correspond with the records available. Often they are dealing with records that were produced when the pipes and cables were put in which for drainage and water pipes can be 50 or even 100 years old. During that time, records can have been lost or unrecorded changes made, and this is what created problems once the utilities companies began their work.”

The road bridge is being replaced after routine tests showed that it is nearing the end of its useful life. It will be replaced entirely by a new ‘advanced composite’ bridge which will be one of the first in the UK to be made from layers of glass and carbon fibres bound together with a tough resin in a process more commonly seen in advanced passenger aircraft manufacturing.

The materials used are resistant to frost, extreme temperatures and de-icing salts that can cause problems in steel and concrete bridges, and require no painting or waterproofing. It is estimated that this could reduce the new bridge’s maintenance costs by up to 35 per cent over its lifetime.

They are also much lighter than conventional materials, meaning that the bridge can be installed in roughly half the time of a conventional structure, reducing disruption for local residents and businesses.

Vehicles will be diverted via Yate and Iron Acton during the main installation works which will take place from 28 July for six weeks during the school summer holidays. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the route via the temporary footbridge downstream of the existing bridge.


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