Work replacing bridge on the A1088 finally coming to an end

Hopes have been raised that the A1088 between Elmswell and Ixworth will reopen by the beginning of next month.

It has been closed since July last year as work has been carried out to replace the Bridge Farm bridge, at Stowlangtoft.

Motorists have subsequently had to find alternative routes to travel between the village just off the A14 and north towards the A143 and vice versa with many avoiding the long diversion put in place by Suffolk Highways (see map above).

There were hopes that the road would have been opened last week but work had to be carried out by UK Power Networks.

Last Monday (January 28) the county council’s highways department said they had poured the new concrete slab for the bridge, which would be added to during the week to form both edge beams to support new fencing across the structure.

Once this had been completed, they would install new drainage and backfill the excavations on either side of the bridge. They would then apply waterproofing to the new bridge deck and lay kerbs and ducting.

Following this, teams would llay asphalt surfacing across the new bridge and on both approaches, including new road markings.

The final stages of the project would see them divert utility cables across the new bridge before removing the site compound to enable the road to reopen.

They said that it was not likely to be completed until the first week of March.

Earlier last month the previous bridge had been demolished and the installation of concrete piles, steel reinforcement, and concrete supports had been undertaken to form a solid foundation for the new structure.

Beams for the new bridge had also been installed, marking a significant milestone on the project but there were unexpected delays during the autumn, due to an issue with the supply of materials.

Have you been affected on your drive by the work at Stowlangtoft. If so contact us in the comment box below.

 

 

 

 

 

4 thoughts on “Work replacing bridge on the A1088 finally coming to an end

  1. They demolished the old bridge early last month.
    Any body else wondering what on earth they were doing between closing the road in July and December?

  2. “ completed until the first week of March … a week later than originally planned.” Er, it was expected to be completed by December 2024 that makes it over two months longer than originally planned !

      1. 20 December 2024 was the original date given . The delay to the end ofFebruary 2025 was attributed to using the wrong concrete in the foundation piles and the need to remove them and basically start again.
        Responsibility for that mistake has not been attributed, at least not to the local population.

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