Fire damaged bridge to reopen by Christmas

Secklow Gate bridge in Milton Keynes closed after a fire at the market in December 2024

A city centre bridge will reopen before Christmas after it was closed for nearly a year following a fire, a council said.

In December, 11 fire appliances and crews tackled the blaze at the market near Secklow Gate bridge in Milton Keynes.

Most of the market that trades near the bridge reopened in January, but the road itself remained closed because of damage to the structure.

Milton Keynes City Council has now appointed a contractor for the "complex concrete repair" needed.

A spokesperson for the authority said: "The repair work has started, and we plan to reopen the bridge before Christmas. We'd like to thank everyone for their patience."

Milton Keynes City Council previously said the Secklow Gate bridge would be closed until September

A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said the fire had been caused by an electrical fault.

Following the fire, the council said many market traders, who operated near and under the bridge, could returned to normal trading.

However the bridge required assessment, structural analysis and laboratory tests to understand the repair work needed.

"There are a limited number of companies able to work on this kind of complex concrete repair," the council explained.