The offside lane of Rochester Old Bridge, which carries the A2 from Rochester to Strood, will be closed on Monday, November 26, from 10:00 a.m. while emergency repairs are undertaken. Delays are to be expected during busy periods.
In a change to the previous announcement of an all-day closure, the Bridge Engineer Hyder Consulting has confirmed that the lifting contractor will start work at 10:00 a.m., in order to avoid the early rush hour.
The granite parapet was damaged sometime between 3pm on Friday, November 16, and 3pm Saturday, November 17.
Emergency works are required and will include carefully removing approximately two tonnes of damaged granite and installing concrete crash barriers.
A spokesman for Rochester Bridge Trust said: “It is extremely unfortunate that these essential emergency repairs will involve the closure of one lane on the very busy Old Bridge so soon after our scheduled repairs to the historic stonework.
“It would appear, from debris left on the road, that a vehicle was in collision with the granite parapet of the Old Bridge on Friday or Saturday morning last week. If anyone witnessed the accident, or has any further information, I would urge them to call Kent Police tel: 101.”
Notes:
1. The Rochester Bridge Trust is a charitable trust that exists to maintain the old and new bridges at Rochester and serve the travelling public. It is the only surviving bridge trust still serving its original purpose, and it has served the people of Kent since 1399. The Trust also supports numerous community and education projects across historic Kent and Medway.
2. The Trust’s assets all derive from endowments of land and money in the 14th and 15th centuries and are carefully managed in order to provide an income to fund bridge maintenance and local charitable grants. The Trust receives no external funding and is regulated by the Charity Commission.