Port of Workington railway bridge upgrade begins

Network Rail along with the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership and Cumbria County Council are replacing a bridge at the Port of Workington, and are advising passengers and motorists about changes while the work takes place.

Siddick bridge provides key access to the Cumbrian port which handles around 500,000 tonnes of cargo each year. The port specialises in the dry bulk, liquid bulk, energy, project cargo, break bulk (forest products) and container sectors

During the project, the old road bridge will be demolished and a replacement installed.

A road diversion will be in place from today (22nd April) until the 6th of June.

Network Rail has installed a temporary level crossing which will allow vehicle access over the railway while the bridge is replaced.

Siddick temporary level crossing, Workington — Credit: Network Rail

From today, pedestrians will be able to use a new footbridge and service bridge which has been built.

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For the old bridge to be demolished the railway will be closed over the May bank holiday weekend from the 1st to 3rd of May.

Passengers should try and travel either side of the weekend and check details on www.nationalrail.co.uk

The replacement bridge will be of a pre-cast concrete design and will be constructed over the coming months.

Roisin Nelson, sponsor for Network Rail, said: “This major bridge upgrade secures both the future of the railway and operations at the Port of Workington for its businesses and customers. Siddick bridge will be entirely replaced with a modern structure which will mean more reliable journeys for passengers and freight on the railway below, with the new bridge needing much less maintenance in the future. I’d like to thank port users and local people for their patience.”

Drone shot of existing Siddick Bridge serving the Port of Workington summer 2020 — Credit: Network Rail

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “We’re working closely with Network Rail to minimise disruption for our customers during this vital engineering work, but there will be some impact to our services on the Cumbrian Coast line.

“Customers should plan their travel carefully for the early May bank holiday and allow extra time for their journeys.”

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