Further funding for landmark bridge repairs

North East Lincolnshire Council documents confirmed repairs to Corporation Bridge have cost taxpayers around £7.3m

A landmark bridge restoration project, which has been hit by delays and rising costs, has been awarded £495,000 from Historic England.

The Grade II listed Corporation Road Bridge in Grimsby was closed to motorists in February 2023 and has remained shut after the structure was found to be in a worse-than-expected state.

The bridge, which spans the River Freshney and is a main route into Grimsby town centre, first opened in 1925.

Councillor Stewart Swinburn, portfolio holder for housing, infrastructure and transport, said: "The funding will go towards various elements of the bridge work, including work on the lifting mechanism."

Restoration work stopped on the bridge in May when North East Lincolnshire Council terminated the contract due to "unacceptable delays".

The authority later said it hoped to restart work on the bridge in "late summer".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a £5.1m budget was initially allocated to the project. This was made up of £2.9m from the Department for Transport, £320,000 from the Local Transport Fund, and £1.8m council cash.

Once it became clear in the latter half of 2023 that more extensive work was required, the council's cabinet signed off on a contingency fund. The precise extent of this fund remains undisclosed.

However, council documents confirmed at least £7.3m had been spent on repairs to the bridge, over £2m over the original budget.

The Grade II listed bridge was opened in 1925 and allows traffic and pedestrians to cross the River Freshney

Historic England said its funding would "reinstate an important part of the road network and improve everyday engagement with this industrial heritage landmark."

The project will include new lighting, and the restoration of the lifting section to enable river traffic to pass once again under the bridge.

Historic England's director of regions, Lou Brennan, said the works form part of a larger regeneration project at Alexandra Dock.

She said: "This initiative will not only boost economic growth but also create amazing opportunities for people in some of the nation's most disadvantaged areas."

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