Network Rail to clean, repair and repaint Shrewsbury railway bridges

Network Rail – through their contractor Amco Giffen – will be carrying out essential maintenance works to the Castle Foregate and Great Western railway bridges in Shrewsbury between May and September.

The Great Western bridge is set back from the road on Castle Foregate between Star BBQ Kebab and The Shrewsbury Ark.

The work is scheduled to be carried out between 23 May and 11 September. It will include cleaning, repairing, and repainting parts of the bridges, as well as undertaking necessary steelwork repairs. These activities are important to ensure the long-term safety and integrity of the structures.

As part of the project, the existing pigeon proofing panels will be replaced with new mesh to address the problem of pigeons roosting and fouling under the bridge.

During the work the bridges will remain open to vehicles during daytime hours. However, the work will require the closure of Castle Foregate, Cross Street and Howard Street on a limited number of occasions overnight to allow the workforce to safely erect and remove scaffolding, and to prepare and paint the structures.

During these closures, a signed diversion route will be in place, and access for emergency services will be maintained at all times. The fire service have been engaged with directly to mitigate the impact of the work. To minimise the impact of this work on road users Shropshire Council has also been working closely with Amco Giffen, Network Rail, the emergency services, local businesses and the local councillor.

For the duration of the scheme, the footpath on the station side of Castle Foregate/Castle Gates will be closed to pedestrians, with an alternative signed pedestrian diversion route provided directing pedestrians to the footpath on the opposite side of the road.

David Vasmer, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said

“We appreciate that the area has recently undergone significant work and we have been working closely with the emergency services, local businesses and others to ensure that they are aware and informed and have the chance to raise any concerns in advance. This scheme has been programmed to minimise impact as far as possible, with most activity taking place at night and the bridges remaining open during the day.”

Overnight road closures will be required for five consecutive weeks commencing Sunday 7 June. A further two-week period of overnight closures, operating Sunday to Thursday, will be required during the final two weeks of the scheme. These closures are required to facilitate the erection and dismantling of scaffolding.

During these periods, Castle Foregate, Cross Street and Howard Street will be closed overnight Monday to Thursday, between 8pm and 6am. There will be no overnight road closures on Friday nights, and a pedestrian footway will remain open during these overnight closures.

In addition, throughout the duration of the scheme and commencing on Sunday 24 May, early-morning road closures will be required on Sunday mornings only, between 12.30 am and 7 am. These closures are scheduled during the early hours to provide the longest continuous period when no trains are running, which is necessary for certain elements of the works to be carried out safely. Any further overnight closures required to accommodate the pigeon mesh works will be communicated in advance.