£1M BRIDGE REPLACEMENT APPROVED

The Great Central Railway PLC's Board has given approval for work on the replacement of Bridge 326 crossing the A60 adjacent to the former Brush Works in Loughborough to commence with immediate effect.

A purchase order has now been placed with VolkerLaser, who are the preferred main contractors. Fabrication of the two new steel and concrete 'U' decks will commence as soon as the final design work is completed by HBPW Consulting of Retford and the steel (which has already been design-specified) arrives at the fabricators, Carver Steel in Harworth, Doncaster.

Volker will be ready to demolish the old bridge deck and install the new twin decks from October 1, as well as making good the existing bridge abutments. This will enable both the track to the Midland main line chord and the future line from GCR south to pass over the newly-constructed bridge. Two tracks over the bridge are essential to secure a future connection with the main line.

The project represents the next major step in the reunification of the Great Central Railway Loughborough with the northern section that leads to Ruddington in Nottinghamshire. Work, in the first instance, to investigate a possible repair to the more than 120-year-old deck rather than replacement proved that too much original section had been lost to corrosion and replacement proved to be the only financially-viable option.

The major project will cost in excess of £1M and is projected to complete at the end of October this year. The bridge replacement will be funded by supporters and the Railway's charitable trust and will therefore be costneutral to the PLC.