Bridges

We inspect and maintain over 834 bridges (50 of which are Listed Buildings, and 3 of these are also Scheduled Monuments). Regular inspections are carried out to identify any necessary maintenance or repairs.  The planned bridge maintenance programme covers activities that can range from the routine removal of vegetation and keeping water courses clear to major refurbishment and reconstruction schemes. The fight against graffiti on bridges and in pedestrian subways has been helped by the availability of anti-graffiti coatings. These may be suitable for other surfaces and the Highways Service can advise on costs and suppliers.

You can report graffiti on our Highways Fault Reporting Form. 

Following the increase in permitted lorry weights in February 2001, we assessed the load bearing capacity of all highway bridges. As a result, some strengthening schemes and weight limits have proved necessary.

If a road closure is required for bridge inspection, maintenance or strengthening works, then the relevant Town & Parish Council(s) and all interested people and organisations will be contacted. Diversions will be advertised and closure notices published.

Bridge Maintenance Strategy

Our bridge maintenance policy includes inspection, prioritisation, programming and maintenance. We also have a statutory duty to control the movement of abnormal loads to protect highway structures.

Maintenance consists of providing acceptable levels of public safety, arresting the effects of serious deterioration, steady-state maintenance and the upgrading of sub-standard features.

Where possible, maintenance work is incorporated into bridge strengthening and highway maintenance schemes, particularly where the work would disrupt the highway if done separately. The principal items of policy which form the strategy for steady state maintenance and upgrading are concerned with:

• the safety of bridge parapets;
• problems (e.g. scour) affecting bridges across watercourses;
• unwaterproofed reinforced concrete bridges;
• improvement of surface water drainage on arch bridges;
• the renewal of bridge expansion joints;
• repairing or rebuilding retaining walls;
• roadside bridge piers which might be hit by vehicles;
• increased traffic volumes causing damage to structures;
• ducts and tendons in post-tensioned pre-stressed concrete bridge decks;
• repainting of structural steelwork; and
• the particular problems of Listed structures and Ancient Monuments.

The Five-Year Bridge Maintenance Programme

Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Council are responsible for over 800 highway bridges and 3 miles (4.75 km) of retaining walls, and have a legal liability to contribute towards the maintenance of five British Waterways Swing Bridges.

The condition of our bridges has deteriorated in recent years due to insufficient funding. During this time repair works have been focussed on only serious defects affecting public safety. There are currently over 300 separately identified maintenance schemes in the bridge maintenance programme.

Bridge Strengthening Strategy

The maximum permitted weight of lorries was increased in February 2001 to 44 tonnes. All bridges have had to be assessed to see if they could cope with this increase safely. The assessment work needed concerning the Council's bridges and retaining walls, together with British Waterways, Rail Property Ltd bridges and Network Rail bridges, is complete.

Our policy has been to give priority to the completion of the assessment programme. Pending strengthening, public safety is maintained on those bridges assessed as weak by using temporary weight restrictions or other measures and restrictions.

The final number of bridges in Cheshire assessed as sub-standard is 173. Of the total length of Council retaining walls assessed, 320 yards (290 metres) has been identified as in need of strengthening.

The strengthening programme is well advanced, with priority having been given to principal road bridges. For substandard bridges on the non-principal road network, decisions are made whether to permanently weight restrict rather than strengthen. Each bridge is considered on its merits taking into account safety, economic and environmental factors.