PLANS to reroute vehicles from a 200-year-old iron bridge have moved a step closer after councillors backed a proposal to create a new bypass crossing.
The Grade II* Listed Chetwynd Bridge near Alrewas is the largest surviving pre-1830 cast iron bridge in England and the second largest in the world – but it has been showing its age in recent years.
Refurbishment works and structural assessment revealed the bridge to be weak and a 7.5-tonne weight limit was imposed to protect public safety.
But the restriction means that heavy vehicles face a 20-mile diversion between Elford and Alrewas.
The bridge, which carries the A513 over the River Tame, is a critical gateway to the National Memorial Arboretum.
Staffordshire County Council is proposing to create a new bypass crossing for vehicles, with Chetwynd Bridge set to be converted into a pedestrian and cycle route as part of the application approved by Staffordshire County Council's planning committee.
Chris Plant, the authority's structure manager, said:
"Chetwynd Bridge is the county's highest priority bridge scheme – we have a heritage structure that is a restricted A-route and has been restricted since 2019 with traffic lights.
"There are issues with vehicles damaging and passing through the parapet, hence the concrete blocks.
"The bridge currently has a 7.5-tonne weight limit, 2.3-metre width and 20mph speed restriction. It's been overloaded over 5,000 times in the past 12 months, which is not sustainable.
"The diversion route is causing significant disruption. The solution is we need a new bridge to bypass the existing heritage structure and the heritage structure will be preserved.
"We have undertaken extensive consultation, which has demonstrated strong support. Historic England support the new structure, which they require to be sympathetic to the existing bridge, which will remain the focus of attention.
"We have submitted a bid to the Department for Transport of £46.3million, as part of the Government's £1billion Structures Fund.
"It's a lot of money, however the benefits of the scheme outweigh the cost by 11 to 1."
Staffordshire County Council is expecting to hear if its funding bid has been successful in the autumn – and work could begin later in the year if so.
A number of local MPs have backed the bid. Sarah Edwards, MP for Tamworth, said:
"This piece of local infrastructure is vital to both our local logistics and farming communities.
"Restoring it would unlock the local economy by removing burdensome extra costs. It would also provide a vital route to alleviate the impact of local flooding which isolates rural communities."
Dave Robertson, MP for Lichfield, added:
"Chetwynd Bridge is a vital local crossing and the largest cast iron bridge in the country – it is imperative that it is urgently replaced to ensure it is fit for the 21st century."
Cllr Peter Mason, cabinet member for strategic highways at Staffordshire County Council, said:
"We have full confidence in our bid for Chetwynd Bridge, which is backed by a strong case, detailed feasibility work and support from both local MPs and major attractions such as the National Memorial Arboretum.
"This is a nationally significant heritage structure and a vital route for one of the country's most important places of remembrance. Securing this funding would help protect the bridge for the future, as well as maintaining a key route for businesses and communities that supports the wider local and regional economy.
"If unsuccessful, we would have to look at other options, including having to close the bridge permanently due to the continuing degradation of the structure exacerbated by the amount of vehicles we are seeing not respecting the weight and width restrictions in place."
