Work to start on final Blackpool bridge repair

Work will begin next month to repair Devonshire Road Bridge as part of an £11.3m project to upgrade bridges across Blackpool.
Devonshire Road BridgeDevonshire Road Bridge
Devonshire Road Bridge

Supporting steel beams which have corroded over time will be replaced as part of the scheme with work beginning on Monday June 4.

It is expected to take 15 weeks to complete the project and during that time Devonshire Road will be closed to southbound traffic between Claremont Road and Mansfield Road.

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Drivers will be diverted along Warbreck Hill Road, Plymouth Road, Poulton Road, Westcliffe Drive and Talbot Road.

A map showing traffic diversions when Devonshire Road Bridge is closedA map showing traffic diversions when Devonshire Road Bridge is closed
A map showing traffic diversions when Devonshire Road Bridge is closed

Pedestrian access to the bridge will be maintained at all times and businesses on Devonshire Road will be open as usual.

Devonshire Road Bridge is the last one in the programme to be repaired with other major investment having already taken place including at Crossley’s Bridge in Layton and Harrowside and Squires Gate bridges in South Shore.

Coun Fred Jackson (left), Blackpool Council cabinet member for highways, said: “It is essential this work is undertaken to keep key bridge access open to road users travelling around Blackpool whether it be to work, shop or enjoy our many fabulous attractions.

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“All of this work and other investment around the town is focussed on making Blackpool better so we ask residents and commuters to bear with us as we progress towards that goal.”

The footway will also be resurfaced and cladding on brickwork under the bridge will be cleaned.

Funding for the Blackpool bridge improvement programme is made up of contributions from Blackpool Council, the Department for Transport and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

In the last three years the LEP has secured £320m of Growth Deal investment.

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The investment programme began in 2015 when the bridge which carries Yeadon Way over Princess Street was demolished and replaced.

Since then other major bridges to be repaired have included Crossley’s Bridge in Layton, Harrowside and Squires Gate.

Engineers had found corroded steelwork which meant action was needed to ensure the safety of the structures for years to come.

Work had to be carried out in conjunction with Network Rail as some of the bridges carried traffic over railway lines.

Some of the bridges are more than 80 years old.