The Winnington Swing Bridge in Northwich was due to undergo urgent repair works earlier this month, however due to the Coronavirus pandemic this work has been postponed.
The Canal and River Trust, which owns the bridge, revealed that it had taken the decision to move the project and required road closure following discussions with Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Under the original plan, the bridge was due to be closed from 10pm on Friday 3 April until 4am on Monday 6 April. This would have allowed a beam on one side of the Grade II-listed structure to be removed and repaired, the Northwich Guardian reported.
Explaining its decision, the Trust said that it had decided it was more important to keep this vital road link open for key workers who are still travelling to work places, as well as for the emergency services, during this time.
It added that its engineers would continue to carry out regular inspections and monitor the condition of the bridge, which links the A533 between Northwich and Barnton. The repair work is now expected to be carried out towards the end of the summer instead.
Due to the deterioration in the condition of some elements of the structure, the Canal and River Trust also requested a weight limit of 7.5 tonnes for vehicles using the crossing in its original planning statement.
The Northwich Guardian reported that, when an inspection was carried out on the Winnington Swing Bridge in 2018, the carrying capacity of the nose end of the bridge “was found to be 7.5 tonnes and the bridge rated as a borderline immediate risk structure under highways standards”.
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