Syston-based civil engineering firm Danaher & Walsh, has won a contract with Leicester City Council to restore the city's Old Bow Bridge as part of its Framework Partnering Contract for civil engineering works and structural repairs.

Danaher & Walsh are working on a scheme to refurbish the Grade II listed Old Bow Bridge which carries city bound traffic on St Augustine Road - one of city’s main roads - over the Old River Soar.

The bridge, which dates back to the early 1900s, is in need of maintenance due to failure of its protective coating to steelwork and the need to renew the old waterproofing system to ensure it continues to be safe for future use.

In order to minimise traffic disruption and inconvenience to road users, the work is programmed to take place in five phases, with the entire carriageway only being closed during the school summer holidays. During this period an inbound contra-flow lane will be in operation on the outbound lane, halving the capacity of the latter.

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The maintenance works require the complete removal of the existing tarmac road and footway surfaces, shot blasting the steel structure back to clean bare metal, repairing and strengthening (where necessary) the steel and protecting it with high quality paint.

A new concrete deck will be constructed over the footways to tie in with the existing reinforced concrete main bridge deck.

The final phase of the project will consist of removal of temporary enabling works and the contra-flow lane. The finished works will include: a new waterproofed bridge deck with blacktop and cobbled footway and verge, a new blacktop carriageway (extending 20 m to the east and 50 m to the west of bridge), newly painted cast iron parapets to their original colour scheme and soffit steelwork where necessary.

Danaher & Walsh Site Agent Jason Bartlett also completed the reconstruction of Redhill Flyover and Watermead Way Bridge for Leicester City Council in 2006 three months ahead of schedule.

He said: "We have repaired and strengthened a number of bridges in the city and are pleased to be refurbishing Old Bow Bridge to its original appearance. The works are due for completion by September of this year."