Network Rail and contractor J. Murphy and Sons Ltd will carry out the work to the bridge during early January and will see a four-month road closure put in place alongside changes to rail services.
The bridge is positioned across the West Anglia Main Line which carries trains between London and Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire.
The bridge needs regular maintenance alongside an inspection regime because of its age and to keep it in safe working order for both road and rail users. Work was carried out to restore the bridge between 2010 and 2014, however, its condition has continued to decline and has now been found to have reached the end of its useable life and requires total replacement. The brand-new bridge has been designed in order to last 120 years.
The road closure will begin on Tuesday the 3rd of January 2023 and will end on Sunday the 30th of April 2023 and will provide a safe working environment for the work to be completed. During the road closure, signposts will be in place for pedestrians and vehicles providing diversionary routes.
The major part of the project will be the removal of the current spans and the installation of brand new ones and this process will be ongoing from Friday the 13th to Wednesday the 19th of January inclusive.
The six consecutive days of work will see train services suspended and during this time Greater Anglia has organised rail replacement buses alongside ticket acceptance in order for passengers to continue their travel.
Passengers are being advised to check their journeys using the Greater Anglia and National Rail websites or via other journey-planning apps.
Ahead of the work, gas, electric and internet connections that run over the bridge have been redirected using a temporary structure, the work saw a single-lane closure during the early part of 2022. Once the new bridge is in place the service will be installed whilst the full road closure is underway. Local residents are not expected to be affected by these services.
Ellie Burrows, Network Rail's route director for Anglia, said: “I'm sorry for the disruption that this work will cause to residents and rail users but if we don't do this work now, it could lead to a much more disruptive closure at short notice. We've been working closely with community groups, local councils and schools to keep them informed of our plans and reduce the impact of the closure. Replacing the bridge will enable us to maintain a safe and reliable route for motorists, pedestrians and rail users for years to come.”
Jamie Burles, Greater Anglia managing director, said: “We are very sorry for the inconvenience caused while our trains are unable to run under the Nazeing New Road bridge and will be doing everything we can to help customers continue their journeys during this period.”
Greater Anglia passengers will be able to use rail replacement and ticket acceptance as follows:
Hertford East to London Liverpool Street:
- On Friday the 13th, Monday the 16th, Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th of January 2023 – No Greater Anglia trains or replacement buses will operate on the Hertford East line. Passengers are advised to make their own way to Hertford North for the Great Northern train to King's Cross/Moorgate. Tickets will be accepted on Great Northern services.
- On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January 2023 – Passengers are advised to make their own way to Broxbourne to get the rail replacement service to Waltham Cross. From Waltham Cross, four trains will operate per hour into London Liverpool Street.
Hertford East to stations north of Broxbourne including Cambridge / Stansted Airport:
- On Friday the 13th, Monday the 16th, Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th of January 2023 – No Greater Anglia trains or replacement buses will operate on the Hertford East line. Passengers are advised to make their own way to Broxbourne, travelling from there using a replacement bus service to Bishop's Stortford where trains can be boarded for Cambridge, Cambridge North and Stansted Airport, or heading to Harlow Town, calling at all stations.
- On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January 2023 – No Greater Anglia trains or replacement buses will operate on the Hertford East line. Passengers are advised to make their own way to Broxbourne travelling from there using a replacement bus service to Harlow Town and all stations to Audley End/Stansted Airport.
Stansted Airport to and from London Liverpool Street:
- On Friday the 13th, Monday the 16th, Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th of January 2023 – Passengers making their way to and from Stansted Airport will need to travel via Cambridge on Great Northern services to King's Cross. Tickets will be accepted.
- On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January 2023 – Airport passengers should take the rail replacement bus to/from Waltham Cross which is a direct bus with no stops. At Waltham Cross a train service to/from London Liverpool Street will call at Tottenham Hale, this service will operate all weekend. Rail replacement services will be very limited with just two buses for each train. Passengers are advised to find alternative travel arrangements.
From London Liverpool Street to Cambridge and intermediate stations:
- On Friday 13, Monday the 16th, Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th of January 2023 – Four trains will operate per hour from London Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross, where onward bus connections to Broxbourne and Bishop's Stortford. From Bishop's Stortford, there will be onward train services to Cambridge North or Harlow Town, which will call at all stations.
- On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January 2023 – Four trains will operate per hour from London Liverpool Street to Waltham Cross, where onward bus connections to Audley End will call at Broxbourne, Harlow Town and then at all stations to Audley End. From Audley End, a train service will operate to Cambridge North.
To London Liverpool Street from Roydon:
- On Friday the 13th, Monday the 16th, Tuesday the 17th and Wednesday the 18th of January 2023 – No Greater Anglia trains or replacement buses to/from Roydon will operate. Passengers are advised to travel using a local bus to Hertford North in order to catch a Great Northern train to King's Cross/Moorgate. Tickets will be accepted on Great Northern. Passengers may also wish to make their own way to Broxbourne where the rail replacement bus service to Waltham Cross will operate.
- On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of January 20023 – No Greater Anglia trains or replacement buses will operate to/from Roydon. Passengers are advised to make their own way to Broxbourne and travel from there using a replacement bus service.
To Cambridge / Stansted Airport from Cheshunt:
- From Friday the 13th until Wednesday the 18th of January, passengers will need to travel to Waltham Cross using a Greater Anglia train service where they can pick up the rail replacement service. On weekdays, the rail replacement service will operate to Bishop's Stortford for a train service to Stansted Airport or Cambridge North. On weekends the rail replacement operation will also operate to Stansted Airport or Audley End for train services to Cambridge North.
