CHESHIRE East Council (CEC) has released details of its plans to replace a road bridge in Pickmere which has been closed for more than a year.
The bridge which carried the B5391, Pickmere Lane, over Waterless Brook was demolished in April 2025 amid fear a sudden collapse could block the watercourse and cause serious flooding.
The ongoing closure has seen temporary traffic lights in place where Budworth Road crosses the brook to the north.
These were put in place in the hope of protecting it from further damage after a lorry struck the bridge parapet in November 2025.
Residents have expressed concerns over the length of time Pickmere Lane has now been closed, with no visible signs of progress at the demolished bridge site.
There is even now a semi-permanent barrier in place across the road.
CEC says it is working as quickly as it can in the circumstances, which include ‘extremely challenging ground conditions’ and budgeting constrains.
However, it has confirmed survey work is now underway, and if things go to plan, it will be in a position to release a construction timetable in June.
Councillor Mark Goldsmith, chair of CEC’s highways and transport committee, said: “We understand the disruption this causes for residents and businesses and remain focused on delivering the replacement as quickly and safely as possible.
“A controlled demolition of the old bridge took place in April 2025 after inspections showed it was deteriorating quickly and at risk of collapse.
“Since then, we’ve progressed the early technical work needed for a safe replacement.
“This included specialist studies that identified extremely challenging ground conditions, which identified matters rarely seen in highways projects.
“These factors mean the new bridge requires detailed design and specialist input before construction can begin, and we have moved funding within our 2026–27 programme to support this.
“Ground surveys began this week. Once the results of the surveys have been analysed, we will move into investigations to gather the information needed to finalise the design.
“We expect to have all the data required by early June and at that point we will then be able to confirm a construction timetable.”
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