'Severe corrosion' found during Cleveland Bridge repairs

The council said the corrosion on the hangar bars was serious enough to risk structural failure of the bridge

Ongoing repair work has revealed "severe corrosion" on a historic bridge that could delay plans to reopen it.

The removal of concrete from the grade II listed Cleveland Bridge showed rusting on the hangar bars, a critical section of its structure.

The local Somerset authority said further assessments would be needed before restoration work continued.

Cabinet member for transport councillor Manda Rigby said safety was the "first priority" in the "complex" project.

Repair work was meant to get under way in June 2021 but Covid absences and sickness delayed when work was able to start

At the end of January contractors carrying out work on the hanger bars, which support the main trusses of the bridge, made the discovery, leading to further technical assessments that have since been carried out.

The corrosion was caused by water and chloride.

Bath and North East Somerset Council said the issue was serious enough to risk structural failure of the bridge, were it to reopen to all vehicles before the repairs had been carried out.

The rusted hanger bars support the main trusses of the bridge

It said there was "no danger in keeping the bridge open" under the current traffic management scheme.

"Safety is my first priority," Ms Rigby said.

"This type of bridge would not be found anywhere else in the world and its historic nature should be celebrated.

"However, renovating a 200-year-old bridge with a concrete structure added 100 years later is an incredibly complex, unique civil engineering project which always carried the risk of discovering issues that could not be anticipated."

She said until the further checks had been completed, the council would not be able to provide a time scale for when the work would be completed by.

"We will give an update in early April including the next steps for the project.

"This will not stop events happening in the city including the Bath Half Marathon," she said.

Traffic management will remain in place for pedestrians, cyclists and cars, although an exception will be made for emergency vehicles.