East London roads reopen as 150-year-old bridge in 'very poor condition' replaced

The completed bridge shown from Downs Park Road in Hackney, London, UK
-Credit:Network Rail


Works to repair a 150-year-old bridge in Hackney have been completed, with local roads reopening after being closed to accommodate the work. The bridge carries the junction of Downs Park Road and Bodney Road over the railway line beneath it.

Network Rail described the old bridge as being in 'very poor' condition, requiring it to be replaced to keep passengers and road users safe. Works on the connected roads have since been completed, with Downs Park Road reopening before Christmas and Bodney Park Road reopening to pedestrians and cyclists on January 24.

The replacement works caused the railway under the bridge to be closed for 16 days, affecting the London Overground Weaver line, Greater Anglia and Stansted Express services. This allowed for the old bridge to be demolished ahead of its replacement.

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Work on the bridge after the old structure was demolished in Hackney, London, UK
Work on the bridge after the old structure was demolished -Credit:Network Rail

Works in the area after the railway reopened have included waterproofing of the new concrete bridge deck as well as utility connections such as electric, water and telecoms being reinstalled. The road on the new bridge was also resurfaced with road markings and the pavement being brought back.

Simon Milburn, Network Rail Anglia’s infrastructure director, said: "Thank you so much to passengers and the local community for bearing with us while we got this job done on time. Thousands of people travel under and over this bridge every day by rail and road, and our project was vital to keeping their future journeys safe and reliable. The new bridge is expected to last for more than a century."

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