Repairs and painting of Weymouth Town Bridge on the way
Dorset Council's given consent for works, as it's a listed structure
Consent has been given for the repairs and re-painting of Weymouth Town Bridge – a listed structure.
Parts of some panels on the bridge are said to be corroded in limited areas, making it better to take the worst affected panels off, repair them and then re-fit.
The lifting bridge, built in 1929-30, spans the River Wey and inner harbour at the end of St Thomas Street.
Both the parapet panels, posts and trough areas are said to be in need of repair and re-painting with no precise schedule for when the work might start, or finish, at this stage.
The bridge, a twin leaf steel structure, is frequently opened on a summer and winter timetable to allow boats in and out of the inner harbour.
Dorset Council’s area planning committee, which approved the listed building consent, heard that a trial panel had already been taken away and repaired to see if the technique was better than trying to carry out the work in situ.
Councillors were told that because of the damage some sections might not be replaced with the original materials where they had lost their structural integrity.
A technical report on the proposals said: “Where there is heavy corrosion and section loss, new elements would be created ‘like for like’. It is considered that the extent of loss would be relatively minor and replacements would match the existing in material, design and colour.
"The only deviation from the existing is to the panel ends to each section which would need to be slightly modified for re-fitting purposes."