Client login
Password

News & Media > Waterways Services

18:02:2010

May Gurney to rebuild historic bridge

May Gurney is carrying out a £250,000 restoration project to rebuild a 200-year-old bridge on the Trent & Mersey Canal on behalf of British Waterways.

The bridge, near Stenson in Derbyshire, partially collapsed in October 2008 when a tractor and trailer passed over it causing sections of the bridge and the trailers load to fall into the canal.

The restoration of the listed structure will involve the use of traditional materials and repair techniques.

A number of bricks from the collapsed sections were recovered and will be used in the repair along with locally sourced bricks which have been carefully selected to provide an exact match with the original brickwork.

Bespoke sandstone copings have also been produced to rebuild the bridge parapet, ensuring the structure is sympathetically restored.

Lime mortar specialists will also be involved in the project following strict listed building consent guidelines and British Waterways’ own heritage standards. Lime mortar, which is quite different from many modern cement mixes, was originally used to build the bridge during the 1800s due to its durable and permeable properties.

The rebuilt bridge deck will also benefit from concrete reinforcements to increase load bearing capacity and help prevent a similar collapse from happening again in the future.

Darren Green, Central Shires Waterway manager, said: “As the body responsible for protecting the rich heritage of the waterways network this restoration is incredibly important to British Waterways.

“Great care is being taken to rebuild the bridge as sensitively as possible and to ensure that we can protect the bridge for another 200 years.”

The repair will be carried out as part of the annual winter stoppage programme across the country, and is expected to take around 10 weeks.

Eddie Quinn, framework manager for May Gurney, added: “We’re working closely with British Waterways to ensure the bridge is restored as quickly as possible, while taking great care to respect the history and heritage of the original structure.

“This is an extremely interesting and challenging project and we look forward to re-opening the bridge in the coming months.”

Footnote: May Gurney has a long-term framework contract with British Waterways for the maintenance and improvement of its canals and rivers. The four-year contract, with a possible two-year extension, is estimated to be worth around £20m per annum and includes a range of maintenance and improvement activities across approximately 80 to 150 projects each year.

Click here for more information about May Gurney’s work in partnership with British Waterways.