Network Rail has reported that the replacement of Nazeing New Road bridge in Broxbourne is moving close to being complete. The bridge spans the main line between London, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire and required a full replacement as the old structure had arrived at the end of its useful life. The brand-new bridge has been cleverly designed and will be able to service both road users and rail passengers for 120 years.
Later in January, trains became unable to run under the bridge for a period of six days whilst the road was dug out and the old bridge lifted and the brand new bridge put in place.
Following this impressive work, substantial progress has been made by Network Rail's engineering contractors J Murphy & Sons with engineers carrying out the following:
- Pouring, curing and waterproofing the new concrete bridge deck
- Strengthening the stretches of the bridge which was not fully replaced and will avoid the need for additional large-scale work in future
- Cleaning and painting stretches of the bridge that were not fully replaced
- Enabling the reinstallation of gas, electricity and telecoms connections across the bridge
Further strengthening work is currently underway and the bridge deck, road surface and pavement are also set to be finalised in the coming weeks.
Network Rail's target to reopen the bridge on Sunday the 30th of April remains in place however, due to the complex nature of the project and the tightness of the programme, unforeseen circumstances such as bad weather could see delays by up to a week. Engineers remain confident that the road will reopen on Sunday the 7th of May at the very latest.
Simon Milburn, Network Rail's infrastructure director for Anglia, said: “We've been making the very most of the road closure to deliver a replacement bridge that will serve Broxbourne and the railway for many decades to come. We're really sorry for the impact on residents and road users, but not doing this work could have led to a prolonged short-notice closure that may have been even more disruptive.
“I'd also like to thank Greater Anglia passengers again for bearing with us while train services were affected for six straight days in January. We know this caused inconvenience for people on their journeys but the new bridge is vital for the future safe and reliable running of the line”.
How long is it going to take to complete the new bridge over the West Anglia Main Line at Cheshunt.
The road closure has been bad enough, being forced down back roads that were not up to the challenge and consequently causing untold damage to residents vehicles and tyres.. but then taking out our internet and telephone lines for days or weeks at a time was a real kick in the teeth. Not so much as an explanation or apology. No internet No work for many of us.. Just another inconvenience and expense forced upon the residents. Well done..