The A3003 has reopened a day early following major work on a £2.8m project to fully reconstruct Manton Bridge.
Network Rail started work on the historic railway bridge, which is now over 150 years old, 12 weeks ago and replaced it with the newest version via a carefully planned installation process, now weighing in at around 425 tonnes.
The road, which links Oakham and Uppingham, was closed up until recently to allow work to take place safely. The road was initially supposed to reopen by 9pm on 5 July, but instead reopened ahead of schedule on 4 July.
Route Director for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, Gary Walsh, said “Our teams have made major progress on the project to upgrade Manton Bridge and we’re pleased to reopen the A6003 slightly earlier than planned.
“We want to thank drivers, as well as residents and businesses in the community, for their continued patience over the last three months. This vital work could only be carried out safely whilst the road was closed.”
He added, “We’re now continuing with the final stages of the project so that people can use the road and railway safely for future generations.”
The final stage of the project will continue up until the end of July, before site compounds are removed, as further brickwork and stonework are needed. Traffic lights will also be in place for another 2 weeks.
