Location: A683
The repairs will be carried out over five consecutive days from Monday, 16 March, and will require the bridge to be closed each day between 9:30am and 2:30pm to help minimise disruption.
These works are necessary to protect both the heritage value and structural integrity of the bridge, which forms an important part of the council’s highway network.
The project will mainly focus on repointing cracked and open joints within the bridge’s arch barrel, using a heritage lime mortar mix approved by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to ensure conservation standards are met.
A full road closure will be in place from 9:30am to 2:30pm, 16-20 March inclusive, with completion expected by 2:30pm on Friday, 20 March, subject to weather conditions suitable for lime mortar curing.
Emergency vehicle access will be maintained throughout, and all emergency services will be notified in advance.
Two signed diversion routes will be available:
Motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A684 Sedbergh, U856 Kendal, A685 Tebay, A685 Kirkby Stephen, and the M6.
Non‑motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A684 Sedbergh, U856 Kendal, A685 Tebay, and A685 Kirkby Stephen.
We recognise that this closure will cause some inconvenience; however, we have planned the works to minimise disruption, scheduling the closure within school hours and outside the busiest travel times.
The repairs must be carried out from the bridge deck to reduce environmental impact and ensure the safety of the workforce, which requires closing the bridge while the team is on site working from an underbridge unit.
This is essential maintenance on a historic structure to ensure the bridge and road remain safe for all highway users.
