Friday 31 May 2013

£2.2million refurbishment of Ovingham Bridge

Some good news today. The Government have announced a £2.265 million refurbishment scheme of Ovingham Bridge.

This is the news we have been waiting for and it is exactly what the bridge needs. The bridge is really important to the people in East Tynedale and in Prudhoe.

After much lobbying to the Department of Transport the £2.2million scheme will provide a full structural refurbishment of the bridge and is great news for local people.

I am pleased the bridge would not be widened to take heavy traffic; but the structural repairs will mean the bridge can continue to serve local residents for many years to come.

There had been some concern that a lack of repairs to the 130year old bridge could have eventually seen it closed. It was orginally built in 1883 in six months by the Ovingham Bridge Co. and purchased by local government in 1944 for £5550.


The full structural refurbishment of the 130 year old structure will include: * full repainting of all structural steel and girders.
* Replacement of the deck slabbing to include deck panels and cross girders.
* Repairs to trusses and grinders
* and repairs to abutments, including full waterproofing and repointing.