Devon railway bridges get essential maintenance

It will protect them for years to come

Three railway bridges in Devon have been given makeovers which will make them safe for years to come.

Worth Mill bridge on Dartmoor, Broadpark Road bridge at Brent and Castle bridge Exeter have all received attention thanks to a £243,000 investment by National Highways Historic Railway Estate.

The bridges are among 154 structures in Devon and 3,100 across the country which were once part of the British rail network.

The works included masonry repairs, repointing brickwork, removing vegetation and roots which can damage the bridges and installing fences.

Ecology surveys were also carried out and bat and bird boxes will be installed later this year as a result.

HRE civil engineer Matthew Irwin said: “We are delighted to have completed maintenance work on another three structures in Devon which will help to keep them in good order for years to come.

“All our structures are inspected yearly by a team of skilled examiners and where there are known to be rare species present, they will be accompanied by qualified ecologists.

“These examinations allow us to plan work well in advance and ensure that the most critical tasks are prioritised. They also allows us to programme ecological surveys  to ensure that no harm is caused to the wildlife as well as suggesting measures that enhance the local biodiversity.”

At Broadpark Road bridge, which was part of the former Launceston to Plymouth railway line, a month long programme included repairing defective areas of stonework as well as repointing the win-walls at either side of the bridge and extensive vegetation clearance.

Eight weeks were spent doing up Wortha Mill bridge, which included masonry repairs, repointing, removing vegetation and roots and the installation of anchors. The bridge crosses the disused Tavistock to Okehampton railway.

At Castle bridge, 10 weeks were spent maintaining and carrying out repairs which included brickwork and repointing. The Budleigh to Exmouth cycleway runs underneath which previously carried the Exmouth to Tipton St John branchline which opened in 1897.