Aged cement is removed, historical pieces of stonework get the expert touch and the critical water barrier is now in place.
Work is progressing on Stamford’s town bridge with Lincolnshire County Council’s expert team applying the waterproofing layers to keep the local icon useable.
It's been a really busy period of work on the Lincolnshire landmark with a waterproofing layer being sprayed onto the bridge deck, then being followed up with an additional protective layer on top of it.
Because of the nature of the waterproofing materials which can only be applied in dry conditions, the work was briefly delayed by one day because of recent rain. The crew worked to make up the lost time and the scheme is still on track for completion at the start of September.
As soon as the waterproofing was completed, the team could crack on with kerb reinstatement. With the historic stone road edges that were part of the original structure cleaned up and returned to the exact place they were removed from, attention was switched to the footpaths, which are now halfway completed.
The same process for the kerb stones was used for the slabs with the original stone items also getting a refresh before being put back into their original positions.
With each individual piece of stone work numbered, photographed and charted the team could be sure that the historical integrity of the bridge remained intact. Due to the weight, irregular sizes and heritage value or the stonework, all aspects of the reinstatement are being carried out with extra care and precise handling to avoid any damage.
Cllr Michael Cheyne, executive member for highways at LCC said: “The crew have been working very hard to make up lost time and I’m pleased to say that we’re on track to complete the bridge works in the coming weeks.
“The next stage is for the footpath reinstatement to hopefully be completed next week and once it’s all in place, attention will then be focused on the resurfacing of the road that goes across the bridge itself.
“As part of the overall LCC work plan we are including the work being carried out to the George Hotel’s gallows structure, which we are incorporating into our scheme to save Stamford residents less future disruption in the area. That work is happening this Sunday between 07:30 and 16:00.
“That work will take just that day to complete and will see the a slightly additional length of road closure on High Street St. Martin’s for the day. The extra part of the closure will extend by 100m south of the Water Street junction. This is the additional diversion route for the George's works that was announced prior to our bridge scheme starting and a signed diversion route will be in place.
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has been affected by this critical bridge work for their patience. We have had a lot of positive comments from people who understand that if we don’t carry out this critical work now then it wouldn’t be long until the bridge would be out of use entirely.
“We appreciate that the disruption has not been easy to deal with and I am pleased that we have made the positive move to change signage on the diversion route to help local businesses more. On that point, I want to reiterate my previous statement that Stamford is very much open for business, the entire area around the bridge is fully accessible and the car parks are open as usual. It’s just the bridge that’s out of commission for now.
“I would encourage everyone who wants to come to Stamford to enjoy the shops and historic buildings to still do so. The bridge work is progressing well and we’re on course to keep this wonderful icon of Lincolnshire in use for many years to come.”