Council bids for £40m to bypass historic bridge

A £40m bid for government money to build a new route bypassing a Grade II* listed bridge has been submitted by a council.

Built in 1824, Chetwynd Bridge near Alrewas, Staffordshire, has operated with weight and size limits on traffic since 2020 after significant structural defects were found.

Staffordshire County Council wants to build a new bridge as part of a £46.4m scheme in order to protect the historic structure for use by pedestrians while keeping the road network moving.

The council will hold a cabinet meeting on Wednesday to discuss the submission to the government's Structures Fund, which was sent in early August.

Transport minister Simon Lightwood has confirmed a decision on applications to the fun was imminent, adding: "I was pleased that Staffordshire County Council put Chetwynd Bridge forward for the fund and so effectively conveyed the strength of local support for their plans to replace this structure."

The council has asked the Department for Transport for £40.358m towards the scheme in total. If the government agreed to fund it, the council would contribute a further £6m.

Planning permission for the proposal was granted in August, the authority added.

If funding was secured and remaining land and access arrangements were finalised, a spokesperson added, construction could get underway from April 2027.

This would mean a new bridge could open in December 2029.

If the bid is not successful, the council said, they would look towards further funding opportunities.

The council also stated if the bid was not successful, it planned to continue developing the scheme using existing grants so it was "ready for another funding opportunity".

Cabinet member for strategic highways Peter Mason said the bridge was "an important route and a nationally significant heritage asset, so it is vital we take the right long-term approach".

Labour MP for Lichfield Dave Robertson said the county council was "absolutely saying that they want this bridge open in 2029".

"This is a shovel-ready project that can be really driven really quickly," he added.

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