A HISTORIC swing bridge has reopened to traffic following essential repair work.
The Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge in North Cheshire, which carries the A56 over the River Weaver near Frodsham, reopened at 1pm on Friday, February 20, after a phase of maintenance works was completed ahead of schedule.
The project is being delivered by the Canal & River Trust in partnership with Cheshire West and Chester Council.
Jon Horsfall, regional director for the Canal & River Trust, said: "We have worked closely with the council, local partners and our contractors to make every effort to keep any road closures to a minimum.
"There have been some unique challenges and a lot careful planning involved in a complex project like this, so we are pleased to get the bridge back open to traffic as soon as we possibly could and slightly earlier than originally planned.
"Thousands of motorists use Sutton Weaver Swing Bridge every week, so it’s been a top priority for both the Trust and the council to keep it in good working order.
"Together we’d like to thank everyone for their patience and support whilst this essential work was carried out, which will ensure the bridge is more reliable and resilient for many years to come."
The improvements included a new control panel, road barriers, signalling and navigation lights, as well as rewiring, new drive motors and reinstated refurbished major mechanical components.
The bridge, which turns 100 years old this year, has been undergoing work since June last year for the upgrade scheme, which is scheduled to be completed in early March.
The reopening follows completion of electrical and mechanical commissioning, which finished a couple of days ahead of schedule.
Cheshire West and Chester Council used the closure to refresh road markings and mechanically sweep the road surface.
The metal swing bridge, which opened in 1926 to replace an earlier 1872 structure, is one of five large swing bridges spanning the River Weaver.
It sits close to junction 12 of the M56 motorway.
The Canal & River Trust oversees 2,000 miles of historic canals across England and Wales, including the ongoing care of waterways structures like Sutton Weaver.
The full upgrade project is on track to finish by early March.
More information about the Canal & River Trust and its projects is available at www.canalrivertrust.org.uk.
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