Eastham Bridge collapse: Relief after new crossing is installed

Eastham Bridge, near Tenbury Wells, reopened earlier this week and the move has put an end to a lengthy and problematic detour faced by local people.

Frances Meier, 61, a farmer on the village side, south of the river, said: "It's so nice to have our bridge back. I live on a farm on the bottom road which everyone has had to use instead and it's been a nightmare.

"But the people who have a farm on the other side have had to take all of their lambing equipment through the centre of Tenbury Wells, it's been very inconvenient – so it's great to have it back."

Peter Jones, 38, said there were wider issues than just inconvenience for those who lived immediately around the bridge.

A nurse at Tenbury's minor injuries unit, he said: "For me it was a few more miles but I'm young, fit and healthy.

"But the GP out-of-hours service has been finding it very difficult to get to people without the bridge. If you were ill, elderly or had a young child who is ill, you had to wait longer to get help.

"So in the grand scheme of things this bridge is actually very important."

West Worcestershire MP Harriet Baldwin also said she was pleased.

“This is great news for local people and I am keen to pay tribute to the work of the county council and its contractors who have worked swiftly to get a new bridge in place," she said.

“When I stood with villagers amongst the ruins of the old bridge last May it was clear this would have a huge impact on local people but I know everyone is pleased that this work has been completed swiftly and efficiently.

“I understand that some villagers have been left out of pocket by this incident and I have written on their behalf to get some guidance on potential compensation claims.

“But I know that every villager, local parent and commuter will be glad that road diversions are over and Eastham can return to normality.”

The route has opened with three-way traffic lights in place as there is still work to be completed.

Jon Fraser, highways manager for Worcestershire County Council, said: "Everybody associated with the scheme has worked incredibly hard to get us to this position, and we are looking forward to the full completion of the project in the summer."

Work remaining on the project includes the fixing of vehicle restraint barriers to the parapet, the removal of temporary cofferdams from the river, and general site clearance and tidy-up.

12,500 bricks from the old structure have been reclaimed and cleaned and will be used as cladding for the new bridge.

The bridge is supported by twelve reinforced concrete pile foundations that go down to a depth of 25 metres and the main span consists of two pairs of British-made braced steel beams, 33 metres long and weighing in at 84 tonnes.

At the official re-opening applause and cheers went up from those gathered to see the first vehicles cross the bridge, as the route opened almost a year on from its predecessor's collapse into the Teme - which happened just as a school minibus came to cross it.

Minibus driver Derek Trow and the pupils from Lindridge St Lawrence Primary School were the first to cross the new construction.

They were followed over the bridge by a Tenbury Transport Trust community minibus which crossed in the other direction.

Mr Trow said he was mainly pleased to be back to his normal route, without having to face the 10-mile diversion necessary to cross the river while the bridge was out of action.

Others agreed it was a relief and congratulated Worcestershire County Council and contractors on their fast work to build a replacement.