Historic Weel Bridge to undergo £1 million rebuild

A historic East Yorkshire bridge is set to be lifted out and refurbished off-site to extend its lifespan and improve safety.

Bownburn-headquartered Esh Construction has been appointed by East Riding of Yorkshire Council to deliver the £1 million refurbishment of Weel Bridge, a 70-year-old aluminium bascule bridge spanning the River Hull between Beverley and the village of Weel.

The scheme will see the entire structure removed and transported to Sheffield for specialist repairs before returning later this summer.

Built in 1953, the aluminium bridge is an unusual structure within the UK network, using a counterweighted bascule mechanism to allow river traffic to pass beneath.

Inspections identified corrosion within sections of the structure alongside deterioration of parapets, pedestrian areas and key mechanical and electrical components.

Works are due to begin in April, with the road across the River Hull closing temporarily from April 13 until late July to allow the bridge to be removed and refurbished.

Because the crossing sits within a Site of Special Scientific Interest and spans a tidal river, repairs on-site were considered high risk.

Councillor Paul West, cabinet member for environment and transport at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “We understand the closure of this route will cause issues for drivers and pedestrians, but I want to thank them in advance for bearing with us while we complete this essential work and reopen the bridge.

“Unfortunately, carrying out the work while the bridge remained in place would cause major safety problems for users and our workers, and untold disruption to traffic. 

“So, it’s unavoidable that we need to remove the bridge and carry out the work off-site. 

“This means the improvements can be made more quickly, regardless of the weather, to a better standard, and we can get the bridge back in place and the route reopened as soon as we possibly can.”

Esh Construction will remove the bridge using a 150-tonne crane before transporting it as an abnormal load to a factory facility for a 12-week repair programme.

While the bridge is off site, the contractor will upgrade the surrounding highway approaches, including improving visibility and creating a wider shared pedestrian and cycle route.

Flood resilience measures will also be introduced to the bridge control house.

Once repairs are complete, the structure will be returned and recommissioned before reopening later this summer.

Steven Garrigan, divisional director at Esh Construction, which is currently refurbishing the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle and Drypool Bridge in Hull, added: “Weel Bridge is a distinctive structure, and the decision to fully remove an aluminium bascule bridge for off-site refurbishment reflects the complexity and unique nature of the engineering challenge. 

“This approach allows us to undertake critical structural repairs and system upgrades in a controlled environment, improving quality, safety and long‑term resilience, while also preventing works above an important watercourse and ecosystem.

“Drawing on our experience of delivering complex bridge refurbishment schemes, we’re combining specialist lifting operations, off-site repair techniques and targeted highway improvements to extend the life of this asset and improve safety for all users. 

“It’s a highly collaborative project that demonstrates the benefits of thoughtful engineering and careful planning.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.