By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottinghamshire County Council says it could take as long as 12 weeks to reopen Lady Bay Bridge in both directions after a serious crash destroyed part of the historic structure last week.
The authority reopened part of the bridge in one direction on Monday (July 11), with motorists leaving Nottingham able to use the road heading towards Rushcliffe thanks to the installation of temporary concrete barriers.
The bridge was initially closed in both directions for a week after a lorry crashed off the bridge on July 4. The driver did not suffer life-threatening or life-altering injuries.
Now the council has confirmed the timescales for a full reopening of the major route and why outbound traffic has been prioritised.
Gary Wood, head of transport and highways on the council, said traffic leaving Nottingham was prioritised to reduce congestion in the city centre and to ensure the “safety and security” of its residents.
He adds the council is working with a specialist bridge contractor to speed up repair works, with materials being sourced to match its existing, historic style.
The bridge’s parapet will be rebuilt to replicate its previous design and, where possible, Mr Wood says it will be reusing materials from the bridge.
Commenting on how long the work will take, he added: “We are very aware that Lady Bay Bridge is an important route in and out of the city and following the accident we’re working really hard to get it reopened as soon as possible.
“It is anticipated that the full reopening will be in 8 to 12 weeks but we’re looking at every possible opportunity to accelerate this.
“Once the contractor has finalised their approach to the construction method, which will require substantial scaffolding, more accurate timelines will be provided.
“We will be keeping motorists and local residents updated as the work progresses and would like to thank everyone for their patience whilst the re-building work is carried out.”
Pedestrians and cyclists had been able to use the path on the bridge while the full closure was in place last week.
Now part of the road has reopened, however, the county council has asked cyclists to dismount and use the path due to the narrow lanes on the bridge.
The Lady Bay incident came almost two-and-a-half years after Clifton Bridge was forced to close for more than 600 days after cracks were found on its concrete structure.
The Clifton Bridge closures, which ended in October last year, caused traffic to come to a standstill across Nottingham when the cracks were first found in February 2020.
