Folly Bridge stonework repairs cause delays

Folly Bridge is used by 15,000 vehicles on the Abingdon Road each day

Drivers in Oxford have been warned of delays as repairs are made to a Grade-II listed bridge.

Folly Bridge is used by 15,000 vehicles on the Abingdon Road each day, but its stonework has been damaged by water penetration over the years.

Oxfordshire County Council said it was having to time the work around the lifecycle of the bats that live in the bridge's arches.

Temporary traffic lights are in place and one lane will be shut for a month.

The road will also be resurfaced up to the junction with Thames Street.

'Tough job'

Council leader Ian Hudspeth said: "It will undoubtedly cause delays until the work is completed.

"This bridge was built in the 1820s. No one could have envisaged the amount of traffic that goes over it at the moment.

"Water has seeped into the stonework from the top and we've got to make sure we replace and repair the stones... so this is preparing it for the next 200 years of its life."

The bridge is home to Daubenton's bats, which are protected under conservation rules.

Hannah Van Hesteren, from the Bat Conservation Trust, said there was a "window in Autumntime" - between when the bats looked after their young and their hibernation period - that made it the best time to carry out the works.

Yvonne Constance, cabinet member for environment, called it a "tough job because the times our engineers can work are so limited due to the bats, and because it is a listed structure adds another layer of complexity".

It is expected to be fully reopened by 20 October, in time for the relaunch of the Westgate Centre.