How will Allbrook Railway Bridge be improved?

The new link road connects to the existing Highbridge Road which passes through the Allbrook Rail Bridge. The rail bridge has height restrictions which prevents heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) from passing through, although all cars and smaller goods vehicles can pass through the bridge.

The SGO development itself will only include light industrial development so is unlikely to generate a significant increase in HGVs.  However existing traffic will start using the new link road too.

The developers are proposing a range of improvements to the road approaching the rail bridge.  These include lowering the road to enable more vehicles to pass;  straightening the road on its approach to the bridge to enable larger vehicles to pass each other more easily;  extra warning signs in the wider area to encourage larger vehicles to take a different route;  and providing facilities for larger vehicles which do mistakenly approach the bridge to turn around.  These improvements will benefit existing as well as new traffic.  The Local Plan policies require improvements in relation to the bridge.

The alternative SGO options would have involved increasing the levels of traffic on the Allington Lane rail bridge which is currently only wide enough for ‘single file’ traffic to pass.