If you have any questions, concerns or comments about the work that will be happening over the next few months, please contact:
Jez Riseley, Eric Wright Civil Engineering Contracts Manager
Phone: 07976 582 768
Email: jriseley@ericwright.co.uk
Background
Zouch Bridge was built in 1930. It forms part of the A6006 which is an important part of the road network, linking the region’s transport and trade routes, including the strategic road network, East Midlands Freeport and East Midlands Airport. It links Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire by crossing the River Soar between the villages of Hathern in Charnwood, and Zouch in the Rushcliffe Borough. Loughborough is about 4 miles to the south.
The condition of the bridge has been slowly deteriorating. To enable the bridge to remain open to as many vehicles as possible an 18-tonne weight limit was implemented in 2023. It is proposed that the weight limit will be removed when the new bridge is complete.
The council is responsible for around 300 bridges which require continuing maintenance, but none need work on the scale of Zouch any time soon.
Work started with the turf cutting ceremony in late July.
Timeline
- The County Council’s Cabinet approved the proposed replacement bridge option in July 2014 and planning permission was granted in July 2018.
- Following the Public Inquiry, the Secretary of State confirmed the Compulsory Purchase Order and Side Road Order in January 2019 ensuring that the land needed to build the new bridge was available.
- Between 2019 to 2022 work on the design and cost estimating took place.
- In 2022, the County Council became aware of potential funding through the Government’s Levelling up Fund (LuF). A bid was submitted in conjunction with Nottinghamshire County Council in August 2022.
- Following the news that the LuF funding bid had been unsuccessful, funding from the Leicestershire County Council Business Rates Pool was made available, providing a new budget of nearly £20m.
- Throughout 2023 the Procurement Strategy was progressed, and a tender was issued to five contractors.
- In July 2024 a contract was signed with Eric Wright Civil Engineering to build a replacement bridge.
- Temporary works will be undertaken between August and October 2024 to construct the cofferdams (piling to create dry watertight working areas). The work can only be done at this time of year to protect spawning fish.
- In Spring 2025 the contractor will be able to start building the new bridge piers inside the dry areas that have been created by the cofferdams.
- During 2026 the new bridge and approach roads will be ready for use by the public and the old bridge will be carefully demolished with work currently scheduled to be completed by early 2027.
Construction
The construction contractor that will do the building work on behalf of Leicestershire County Council is called Eric Wright Civil Engineering.
The work has been arranged to keep disruption on the highway to a minimum, but some inconvenience and disturbance to neighbouring residents may result.
The work has been programmed to restrict road closures to the time periods when the main beams are delivered, the re-alignment of the new carriageway to join onto the existing line of the A6006 leading to the new bridge takes place, and when diverting essential utilities such as gas and water pipes. The development map shows where the new bridge will be built.
The bridge components will be assembled on the land adjacent to the river and, due to the presence of overhead, high-voltage cables ruling out the use of cranes, will then be guided into place using a jacking system.
The old bridge will then be demolished with the work currently scheduled to be completed by early 2027.
Monthly news and progress updates will be available. Please email Jez if you would like to receive these by email. Alternatively, information about the scheme will be added to this webpage.