Plymouth Road Bridge will reopen to drivers on Friday 7 April at 8pm following a six month repair programme.



The second phase of the bridge repair programme has seen the eighty year old bridge replaced with a stronger and higher alternative.
The bridge has been raised in order for electrification works to the railway line underneath to take place. Both schemes have taken place at the same time to minimise disruption.
The bridge will reopen to two way traffic and temporary traffic lights may be required for short periods whilst the utilities from the temporary footbridge are diverted back into the highway.
As part of the £6.1m scheme, the deck of the bridge has been replaced due to corrosion. The corrosion on the bridge was significantly high, with the chloride based corrosion of the concrete rated as being up to 6%, far above the recommended level of 0.3%.
The maintenance work is part of a programme to repair ten Blackpool bridges during the next four years at a total cost of £11.365m. The money is made up by contributions from Blackpool Council, the Department for Transport’s Challenge Fund and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Fund.
£1m of external funding for Plymouth Road bridge has also been received from Network Rail in order to raise the height of the new bridge, enabling electrification works of the train line underneath.
Cllr Fred Jackson, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member responsible for highways, said: “Once again, we have delivered on our promise to complete the next phase of the repair programme on time with the bridge reopening on Friday.
“We have a strong track record with completing large scale highways investments on time and within budget.
“We have staggered repair work to reduce disruption to road users. The third phase of engineering works will see the demolition of the temporary pedestrian footbridge and laying the final surface of the road.
“We would like to thank motorists, residents and local business owners for their continued patience while we carry out this important work.”
Phase 3 is expected to run until 27 July.
A scheme to manage traffic flow around the junction is currently in development stages, with a view to making the area easier for drivers.