Bridge to reopen after eight-week revamp

The Aldermaston Wharf Lifting Bridge carries the A340 and has been closed since January

A bridge that has been closed for eight weeks due to refurbishment is set to reopen.

Aldermaston Wharf Lifting Bridge in Reading, Berkshire, has been removed, refurbished and reinstalled to ensure it continues to function “reliably and effectively for many years to come”, West Berkshire Council said.

The bridge, which carries the A340 over the Kennet and Avon Canal, is due to reopen on Saturday.

Its revamp started in January.

Aldermaston Tearoom is a historical building situated alongside the canal in Reading

Constructed in the 1980s, many of the bridge's structural, mechanical, electrical, and hydraulic systems essential for the bridge's operation became worn and outdated, with spare parts increasingly harder to source, the council said.

Councillor Denise Gaines, portfolio holder for highways, housing and sustainable travel, said the upgrades were “essential to ensure the bridge remains in a reliable working condition”.

The refurbishment required the removal of the entire moving bascule part of the bridge to a steel fabrication yard for structural repairs and repainting.