February 14, 2022 12.17 pm

Cross Keys Swing Bridge to get fresh paint job after two decades

LCC say disruption will be minimal
It is key for people travelling from Lincolnshire to Norfolk.

‘Essential maintenance’ is set for the A17 Cross Keys Swing Bridge at Sutton Bridge, as the structure needs to be repainted after nearly 20 years, though the council promises to keep disruption on the busy road to a minimum.

A contractor has been appointed and a start date of February 28 has been set, allowing for vital repainting works to be done on the bridge for the first time in almost two decades.

The current programme of works is scheduled to run from February 28 to July 1, but those dates are based on favourable weather conditions and longer daylight hours as the scheme progresses.

Traffic management will be necessary at times while the work is being completed, but the bridge must remain operational for shipping movements, of which the river Nene is a key route.

For road traffic, there will likely be advisory diversion routes and the use of temporary traffic lights during the paint job.

In the time since it was last painted, Cross Keys Swing Bridge has seen a combination of high traffic volumes and tidal salt water, which has chipped away at paint on the steelwork of the bridge.

There will be a few overnight road closures to allow for particularly difficult to reach areas of the bridge to be painted, but the council are assuring people that disruption will be kept to a minimum.

Public holidays fall within the proposed programme, so on those days traffic management will be removed to allow for the road to open fully.

Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways for Lincolnshire County Council, said: “These works are essential for the continued life and usefulness of the bridge.

“We are working extremely hard to minimise the amount of disruption that road users will face over the coming months and have liaised with other authorities to ensure that the work we carry out will not be impacted further by works in their areas.

“I would like to thank everyone who travels across the bridge, or in the immediate area, for their continued patience whilst these works are carried out.”