Repairing collapsed bridge goes £139k over budget

Council leader David King admitted there had been "huge frustration" at delays to the repair Middle Mill bridge

The cost of repairing a collapsed bridge went significantly over budget and could hit £900,000, the BBC can reveal.

Middle Mill footbridge in Castle Park, Colchester, was shut for 643 days after an adjacent 900-year-old weir tumbled into the River Colne in December 2023.

A £761,000 budget was allocated to repair it, and it reopened in September, but spiralling costs have led to a projected overspend of £139,000.

David King, the leader of Colchester City Council, which split the cost with Essex County Council, said it was a "complex engineering challenge".

The structure was first closed on 10 December 2023, leaving residents having to take a 15-minute diversion.

King, a Liberal Democrat, admitted there had been "huge frustration" about delays, but added: "The prize is significant and I'm glad at last that it has been delivered."

Sandbags were put in place after the collapse to slow down further erosion

Contractors worked in water to secure the bridge's foundations and prevent it from endangering public safety.

But details obtained by a Freedom of Information request, submitted by the BBC, outlined some of the complications that arose.

Council staff and their colleagues at Essex Highways were initially unable to determine how long the project would take.

They were held up for about a week in June when moorhen nests were discovered on the first day of repairs.

Contractors later decided to resurface the bridge deck and paint the railings, having also been slowed down by having to secure permits from the Environment Agency.

By the time the project was complete, construction costs and the price of materials had ballooned due to inflation.

'Iconic bridge'

King said despite the challenges, the £900,000 price tag was justified.

"We knew how important it was to residents," he said. "The bridge opens up the park, it connects communities.

"A significant spend though it is, it's not uncommon in recent times to find all forms of highways work to be challenging in terms of construction, inflation and delivery cost."

Essex Highways said "extensive scouring" was needed beneath the bridge

A spokesman for Essex Highways said the bridge was "iconic" and acted as a "key pedestrian and cycling link" in the city.

"Extra enhancements were made during repairs to improve the condition and longevity of the bridge, using contingency funds set aside for the project," he said.

"Extensive scouring was also needed beneath the bridge during investigations.

"This meant the project took longer than expected to ensure the long-term stability of the structure."