Work to replace Lodgemore Bridge begins today. The existing fixed bridge, recipe which is in poor condition, sick will be replaced by a new manually operated lift bridge. This will allow boats to move up the canal towards Stroud.
This means the crossing over the canal will be closed from that date; most likely until the middle of December. Vehicles which would normally use Lodgemore Bridge will instead be able to use a temporary roadway across Chestnut Lane Bridge and across C&G Services’ field. Details of the diversions are shown here. The temporary roadway is NOT suitable for articulated vehicles as there is no turning area at the end.
The canal towpath will be closed at Lodgemore for the duration of the work. Towpath users will need to walk along Bath Road (or Cainscross Road) instead. Pedestrians wanting to cross the canal from Bath Road will enter the Lodgemore Mills area as normal. Instead of crossing the bridge, they will turn left (towards the lake), then take a right across C&G’s car park for a short distance, bringing them out onto the canal towpath to continue on to Chestnut Lane.
We expect the new bridge to be open to traffic by Christmas, though it will not be capable of lifting until mid-January.
This work is an exciting part of the canal restoration project and we hope that the new bridge will become a landmark structure commemorating the 2015 restoration. We would appreciate everyone’s help in ‘keeping an eye’ on the site compound during evenings and weekends; and in making sure that temporary road signs and fencing remain in place.