Network Rail are to make essential repairs to two Victorian-built railway viaducts in Birmingham.
Located to the west of Stechford railway station, the bridges carry the railway line over the River Cole.
A full inspection of the bridges is taking place with scaffolding erected around the 185-year-old structures.
The £1.1m project will see any broken bricks replaced along with mortar repairs and repointing.
The repairs started in May, and will make the bridges safe for many more years of passenger and freight trains. There will be no disruption to trains while the work takes place.
Due to be completed by November, the noisiest work will be carried out during the day to avoid any inconvenience at night to nearby houses.
Sreedevi Thekkedathu, scheme project manager at Network Rail, said: “These essential upgrades at Stechford will improve passenger and freight journeys on these busy routes in and out of Birmingham. Carrying out work on historic structures like these viaducts is a real privilege but it is also a challenge given their height over the river. We'd like to thank people living and working nearby for their patience while we carry out this vital maintenance over the coming months.”
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The viaduct on the New St- Stechford Line dates from c1836 London & Birmingham Railway), the other on the Aston Stechford Line (London & North Western Railway) was completed by 1880, So they are both Victorian. The clearance of foliage from the river bank, has revealed a bricked up arch on the LBR viaduct which has two large open arches. There is a similar viaduct at Marston Green