£5m railway bridge replacement planned for Wakefield over Christmas
A rail bridge in Wakefield is set to be demolished and rebuilt.
Network Rail will demolish and replace the bridge over Agbrigg Road, next to Sandal and Agbrigg railway station, as part of work to improve a rail route between Doncaster and Leeds.
It said the bridge's main steel girders are structurally substandard, which means weight restrictions and close monitoring are in place.
The replacement structure will have a design life of 120 years and is expected to allow those restrictions and monitoring measures to be removed.
It will also be better able to withstand strikes from road vehicles, reducing the risk of disruption to both the railway and Agbrigg Road.
Work will take place while no trains are running, from the early hours of Christmas Eve until 8am on Sunday, December 27.
Engineers will begin by removing the railway tracks and ballast above the bridge before using a 50-tonne demolition excavator to take down the existing structure.
A new bridge deck will arrive in two sections before being installed, waterproofed and fitted with drainage. Railway tracks will then be reinstated on top.
Network Rail portfolio manager Sean Ellerby said: “We’re sorry to residents who will be impacted by this vital work over the festive period. Christmas provides a unique opportunity for our teams to access the track and complete the work in a much shorter time than would otherwise be possible.
“We’re investing almost £5 million on the new bridge to help us maintain a safe, reliable railway and avoid future disruption. We’d like to thank residents and road users for their patience while this work takes place.”
Motorists will also face disruption during the project, with temporary traffic lights due to be in place on Agbrigg Road from November 8.
Saturday night road closures are scheduled to begin on November 14, before a full closure during the Christmas work.
A signed vehicle diversion has been agreed with Wakefield Council, while some parking spaces will also be temporarily suspended to allow construction vehicles and traffic management teams to operate safely.
Prepartion work is already underway with a replacement bridge being built at a compound near the station before being moved into position.