Rugby bridge demolished
A landmark feature in Rugby, the Lawford Road disused railway bridge, has successfully been demolished without incident.
The bridge was removed as part of the £37m Rugby Western Relief Road project, with work undertaken by Warwickshire County Council’s contractor Carillion.
Despite engineers expressing some concerns at the complex nature of the bridge demolition, the operation went successfully and the bridge was demolished ahead of schedule.
Pete Bones, a senior engineer specialising in bridge and structural design and working for the county council explained: “The removal of a brick arch bridge is always a complex operation, but I’m pleased to say the bridge was less strong than anticipated, so rather than taking three days the bridge was demolished in a day.
“There have been several delays leading up to the removal of the bridge, as numerous unidentified services such as gas, electricity and water have been encountered. All of these have had to be carefully examined and tested to establish whether they are still in use, before being diverted or removed.
“Now the bridge and approach embankments have been removed, it allows the junction of the Rugby Western Relief Road with Lawford Road to progress. When complete, this will be the largest signal controlled junction in Warwickshire.”
The railway bridge was opened in 1851 as part of the LMS Rugby to Leamington Line. Its busiest period was 1922 when 11 trains a day ran in each direction.
In 1958 the line closed to passenger traffic, and it was closed to freight in 1965 under the Beeching Plan. However, Rugby Cement did continue to use the Rugby to Long Itchington section to a limited extent for some time after that.
To give people a chance to see the Rugby Western Relief Road taking shape Pete Bones is conducting minibus tours and these can be booked by calling Pete on 01788 513125. They generally take place on a Tuesday morning and last about 1½ hours. Owing to the limited number of spaces available, a first come first served system is operated.
For further information on the project contact the site office on 01788 513100 or visit the website at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/rwrr