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Tuesday 29 Oct 2013

Improvement work at Ansford counts down to completion

Region & Route:

| Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

The £1.2m improvement scheme that will significantly strengthen the Ansford overbridge at Castle Cary is close to completion. Network Rail is now preparing the final stages of work and to reopen A371 with single lane working two weeks before all the works complete.

Railway staffs have clocked more than 9,000 hours and have successfully replaced the bridge with a brand new 235 square metres concrete deck since the scheme started this July. As part of the next stage of works, the bridge will be encapsulated to enable Network Rail to repair and repaint all the steel elements to prevent the structure from corrosion. These works will be carried out at night and the encapsulation will protect the environment from the works and allow works to continue despite poor weather conditions.

Paddy Gregg, route delivery director for Network Rail Western said: “The scheme is progressing on track with the most complex work of installing the new bridge decking now completed. In a couple of weeks’ time, we will be able to open one of the lanes to traffic whilst putting the final touches to the structure.

“We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused to the community owing to this essential work. However, the community will gain from a much stronger bridge that will be able to carry up to 40 tonnes of road traffic at the end of the project. This also means a safer and more reliable infrastructure to support highway and rail services for many years to come.”

Road users will be able to access A371 single lane from 18 November before the road is fully open on 2 December, when the programme of work completes. - ends -