Vital Kent bridge crossing to close for another eight days in October for essential repairs
Kent residents will contend with considerable travel disruption this October as the Kingsferry Bridge is set to close once again. Further ‘essential repairs’ will be taking place for a total of eight days, requiring a full closure of the vital crossing between Sheppey and mainland Kent.
In order to help reduce the extent of disruption, Network Rail has scheduled the works for the October half-term, beginning from 10pm on Friday, October 25. The bridge will then remain closed until 5am on Sunday, November 3 with rail, road, maritime and pedestrian travel impacted during this time.
While the crossing is shut, crews will work to replace the ropes that lift the bridge for shipping after scans revealed that these components had degraded considerably. This meant that their replacement, which had been originally scheduled to take place in 2026, had to be urgently brought forward.
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A spokesperson for Network Rail added: “If the work isn’t done before winter, there is a risk that the ropes could fail and the bridge would close for a much longer period.” Earlier this summer, the Kingsferry Bridge saw 20 days of closures to replace the lifting ropes in the Kingsferry Bridge towers and the counterweight ropes that balance the bridge deck when it lifts.
Meanwhile, the upcoming October closure will allow for the replacement of the lifting ropes in the Kent towers. Works have been scheduled for the half-term to help reduce road congestion, while Kent County Council has agreed to temporarily remove the traffic management from the northbound A249 during this time.
As before, free vehicle recovery will be in operation from Cowstead Corner to Bobbing Roundabout. Buses will replace trains between Sheerness on Sea and Sittingbourne throughout the closures.
A spokesperson for Southeastern added: “Please note that the buses will not call at Swale station due to low customer numbers and the extra time it would add to journeys to the other stations.” Additionally, a shuttle bus will be operation to transport pedestrians and cyclists across the Sheppey Crossing, running once an hour on the hour.
Pick-up and drop-off points will be on Sheppey Way off the Queenborough Road/ Cowstead Corner roundabout for the Sheppey side, and alternatively on Sheppey Way by the Old Ferry Road roundabout for the mainland side. Leisure cyclists are asked to avoid using the shuttle to allow more space for those cycling to work.
Network Rail has advised drivers to use the Sheppey Crossing while Kingsferry Bridge is closed, but to allow more time for travel, especially at peak times. People who use local bus services and or school buses are advised to check with their bus operator as there may be changes to bus routes and times.
Last trains will depart from the island on October 25 at around midnight when the bridge closes. Once the route re-opens, the first trains are expected to run from 5.43am.
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