The bridge that carries the main A431 over the River Boyd in Bitton may need to be replaced, it has emerged.
South Gloucestershire Council has just approved £50,000 of funding for further investigations and detailed design to see whether strengthening work will prevent a weight restriction being put in place, or whether a new bridge will have to be built.
The current bridge was rebuilt in 1972.
Although most heavy traffic between Bristol and Bath uses the A4, there will soon be an increase in traffic, including a tenfold increase in the number of HGVs, along this stretch of the A431. It follows Wessex Water’s successful planning application last year to B&NES Council for a new bridge over the River Avon and a new road linking its sewage treatment centre in Saltford to the A431 south of Swineford.
Preparation work for that is now under way with about a 100ft stretch of hedgerow being removed from the A431 to make way for the new link road and bridge on one side of the road and a shorter stretch on the other side removed to make way for access to the work compound.
Hedgerows have been removed
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