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Failure to agree a design for a new train bridge over the A206 has caused Bexley council to create a new schedule of work for the A206 Thames Road project. The 22 million pound scheme a been put in to chaos as a result, while 1.5km of Thames Road will be widened to two lanes, traffic will continue to flow under the bridge in a single lane until the new railway bridge is built, causing the exact congestion the dual carriage way was designed to relieve
Network Rail, which owns the bridge that carries trains over the eastern end of Thames Road, has been unable to agree a suitable bridge design with the Council’s consultants, so this feature is no longer part of the Council’s immediate plans.
Originally, the highway works and bridge replacement were to be carried out under one contract. This will now be revised so that the contract only covers the highway works. The change has been made to ensure the rest of the scheme proceeds as planned, while negotiations about the future of the bridge continue with Network Rail, the Council’s consultants and funders.
As a result of the delay, the extra cost of incorporating the bridge into the road scheme has risen to the point where Bexley cannot afford to pay for it.
The change was announced by the Leader of Bexley Council, Cllr Ian Clement, at last week’s full Council meeting: “We are determined to see the highway project through and deliver a road scheme that brings regeneration benefits and helps reduce traffic congestion in this part of the borough as much as possible.
“We’re disappointed that we could not reach an agreement on the bridge and that this aspect of the project will have to be postponed for now. But by making this change to the contract, we are ensuring that we don’t miss out on the other benefits that the road will bring.”
A new railway bridge will now be considered at a later date with a brand new design to be agreed between engineering consultants and Network Rail. This part of the project will be recosted, and it’s likely that the Council will need to secure additional funding for the work.
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