August 7, 2013 11.43 am This story is over 127 months old

Hartsholme White Bridge construction to start in September

New bridge, vintage design: The White Bridge at Hartsholme Country Park in Lincoln will be rebuilt next month, after it was closed last summer due to safety concerns.
Designs of the new White Bridge at Hartsholme Park

The White Bridge at Hartsholme Country Park in Lincoln will be rebuilt next month, after it was closed last summer due to safety concerns.

The City of Lincoln Council awarded the contract to rebuild the iconic bridge to contractors John Martin-Hoyes Ltd.

The Lincoln-based builders and civil engineers will be fabricating the bridge off site, which will then be installed at the park from mid-September – almost a year to the day since it was removed.

An mock view from the new White Bridge.

An mock view from the new White Bridge.

The bridge should be completed and re-opened in time for the October school half-term.

A budget of around £65,050 has been put aside for work on the new bridge, with £35,000 coming from existing corporate property budgets and £30,050 from the council’s capital contingency fund.

The new bridge will be built on the old pylons from 1902, which are still standing in the water, and have a non-slip deck.

It will be the same height and width as the previous bridge.

The previous White Bridge, built in the 1960s, was removed from the park last year after the City Council declared it unsafe for public use.

This was due to the timber deck and upper steel work needing replacement, though the pylons below the waterline were in good condition.

The original White Bridge from the 1960s

The original White Bridge from the 1960s

Alan Brookfield, Project Manager at the City of Lincoln Council, said: “The White Bridge is an important part of Hartsholme Country Park and has been missed over the last 12 months.

“We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure the designs are in keeping with the park and its history and to make sure we get the right people for the job, so the bridge will provide safe and easy access across the lake for many years to come.

“People going to the park next month will start to see the new bridge taking shape. The installation should be fully completed and the bridge re-opened in time for school half-term in October.”

The park will also be busy over the coming weeks with a range of summer holiday activities suitable for all the family.

Chainsaw sculptures, wildlife activities and face painting are some of the activities organised for a family fun day on Sunday, with a pirate themed treasure hunt on August 20 and Bottle Rockets on September 3.