Essential maintenance works will take place next month to repair and restore sections of the historic Straight Bridge on the A683.
The repairs will be carried out over five consecutive days from Monday 16 March and will require the bridge to be closed each day between 9.30am and 2.30pm to help minimise disruption.
These works are necessary to protect both the heritage value and structural integrity of the bridge, which forms an important part of the council’s highway network.
The project will mainly focus on masonry repairs to the bridge’s arch barrel, using a heritage lime mortar mix approved by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to ensure conservation standards are met for this Grade II listed structure.
A full road closure will be in place from 9.30am to 2.30pm, 16–20 March inclusive, with completion expected by 2.30pm on Friday 20 March, subject to weather conditions suitable for lime mortar curing.
Emergency vehicle access will be maintained throughout, and all emergency services will be notified in advance.
Two signed diversion routes will be available:
• Motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A683 Sedbergh, A685 Tebay, M6 and the A684.
• Non motorway traffic: via the unrestricted section of the A684 Sedbergh, U856 Kendal, A685 Tebay, and A685 Kirkby Stephen.
Councillor Peter Thornton, Cabinet Member for Highways and ICT, said: “The council recognises that this closure will cause some inconvenience; however, we have planned the works to minimise disruption, scheduling the closure within school hours and outside the busiest travel times.
“The repairs must be carried out from the bridge deck to reduce environmental impact and ensure the safety of the workforce, which requires closing the bridge while the team is on site working from an underbridge unit.
“This is essential maintenance on a historic structure to ensure the bridge and road remain safe for all highway users.”