Work will begin later this week on emergency repairs to the Kingsferry Bridge in Kent.
The Kingsferry Bridge is a vital connection for rail and road users, connecting the Isle of Sheppey with mainland Kent.
The vertical-lift bridge will be closed this coming weekend as work begins to replace 40 steel ropes that lift the bridge to allow maritime traffic to pass underneath.
Recent scans found that some of the ropes urgently needed to be replaced.
David Davidson, Network Rail’s Kent route director, said: “The closure of the Kingsferry Bridge combined with existing roadworks in the local area will likely mean longer journeys for people travelling in the area.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience people will experience, but the essential repairs need to be made now to avoid the risk of a sudden and much more disruptive unplanned closure over winter.”
Scott Brightwell, Southeastern’s operations and safety director said: “We fully support these bridge repairs, but we do appreciate that it will make journeys more difficult for our customers.”
It will also be closed on a further three occasions across June and July.
Image credit: Network Rail
