Tadcaster Bridge re-opening delayed

The re-opening of Tadcaster Bridge has been pushed back due to the freezing weather conditions.

The structure was due to re-open today but North Yorkshire County Council now say it is likely to be on Tuesday January 31st at a time still to be decided provided that temperatures rise as forecast over the weekend.

Tadcaster Bridge was closed after its partial collapse due to the force of flood water from heavy rains last Christmas.

The County Council started the task of reconstruction two and half weeks after the bridge’s collapse.

Tents have been erected over the stonework to protect it from low temperatures and allow work to continue Credit: North Yorkshire County Council

Contractors have erected heated tents over the masonry to help the construction of the parapet wall on the upstream side of the bridge where low temperatures overnight have not being rising until midday at the earliest.

Even with the tents in place it has proved difficult to raise the temperatures to a level that allows the mortar to harden effectively and as a consequence progress has not been as fast as had been programmed.

The County Council say contractors are working round the clock and are very close to finishing the bridge in order to open it to traffic.

The 18th century grade two listed bridge has been reconstructed and widened with £3m from the Government and £1.4m from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership.