Four-year-old Burway Bridge must close for repairs

A bridge built four years ago to replace one washed away in some of the biggest floods in Ludlow is to close for urgent repairs, it was revealed today.

The Burway Bridge, which crosses the River Corve on Coronation Avenue, will be closed for three days from June 6 to allow the work to be carried out.

Shropshire Council said an expansion joint on the town centre side of the bridge was leaking and must be fixed.

Council officials said the repairs would be paid for by the contractors at no extra cost to the taxpayer. Diversions will be put in place.

Flash floods which hit the town in 2007 caused the previous bridge to collapse, along with a house on the river bank. The bridge became a symbol of the devastating floods of 2007.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council's cabinet member responsible for bridge maintenance, said: "It is appreciated that the proposed road closure will cause some inconvenience and everyone will do all that they reasonably can to reopen the road as soon as possible.

"To avoid disrupting school traffic, the work has been deliberately programmed to be carried out during the school half-term holiday."

Rosanna Taylor-Smith, Shropshire councillor for Ludlow North, said: "We have scheduled this repair work at half-term to avoid disruption to Ludlow School and before the start of Ludlow Festival."