No news on the proposed replacement River Trent crossing at Walton, Derbyshire.

[GeorgeEvans]

Is there any new information on the started but halted Walton-on-Trent road bridge?

McAlpine downed tools on the job in 2012 due to 'issues' with the Staffordshire and Derbyshire county councils. Since them it's gone very quiet. The only recent news about a lorry crashing into the 'bailey' bridge approach (Burton Mail, November last year) included this brief note:

The Bailey Bridge itself is no stranger to controversy; it was intended to be, and will one day be, for pedestrians only.
Plans to build a bypass in Walton-on-Trent continue to be delayed, a process whch would see the Bailey Bridge closed to cars and traffic and a new bridge built.
These plans were initially proposed more than five years ago as part of a deal to build 2,200 new homes in Drakelow, by Drakelow Developments Ltd which agreed to fund the bypass.Construction of this bypass would bring about the end of decades of frustration for villagers and motorists who used the Bailey bridge to travel between Burton and Swadlincote.
An original bridge was built in 1834, which lasted more than 100 years before needing to be replaced by a temporary version - the Bailey bridge. Army Royal Engineers erected this on top of the old bridge in 1947, removing part of it to allow for a support to be built on the Staffordshire bank of the river.
Flood damage had meant the engineers were called in to install the Bailey Bridge after the severe winter of 1947. The bridge was once again replaced in 1974 with a modern version, but still a temporary Bailey bridge structure.

The bridge was intended to, in part, serve the former Drakelow power station redevelopment project southeast of Burton-on-Trent. I was also no doubt intended to be part of a larger infrastructure project which would as a result extend the south terminus of the A514 at Cadley Hill (A444 junction) to the A38 interchange at Barton turns.

If completed the new bridge and link would make the villagers of Walton happy and provide a much needed route into south Derbyshire from Staffordshire, effectively creating a 'new' A road from the A515 in Yoxall via Swadlincote to Derby.

I'd like to add a short note to my Wiki description with the latest (non) developments. Anything out there?

[Chris56000]

Hi

According to [url=ttps://www.google.pl/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j ... 5KdQpwpp8e]this[/url]

. . .the new link road and bridge was supposed to be opening this month!

Chris Williams

[Chris56000]

Hi

According to https://www.google.pl/url?sa=t&source=w ... 5KdQpwpp8e

. . .the new link road and bridge was supposed to be opening this month!

Chris Williams

[RichardA35]

It's worth having a google for Roger Bullivant as he was head of his own piling firm but sold up to develop the housing estate at Drakelow to which the bridge will link.
It would appear that the various permissions were not present when the work started and may, or may not, be there now.

[Sammy]

The Walton bailey bridge has been replaced since 1974, I'm pretty sure of that.

[c2R]

The Walton bailey bridge has been replaced since 1974, I'm pretty sure of that.

It's a superb temporary structure, complete with 15mph speed limit signs and weight restrictions and alternate flow traffic lights, with a separate footbridge. Worth a look on streetview!

[Sammy]

The Walton bailey bridge has been replaced since 1974, I'm pretty sure of that.

It's a superb temporary structure, complete with 15mph speed limit signs and weight restrictions and alternate flow traffic lights, with a separate footbridge. Worth a look on streetview!

I'm just trying to remember when it was replaced. Sometime in the 90s or 00s is the best I can remember off the top of my head

[Alderpoint]

Latest streetview pic does not seem like a long term solution.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.76126 ... 312!8i6656

[Sammy]

Latest streetview pic does not seem like a long term solution.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.76126 ... 312!8i6656

Local rumour had it they deliberately didn't make it any wider to discourage rodent running.

Obviously you can just impose a weight limit but that doesn't discourage cars.

[aj444]

Latest streetview pic does not seem like a long term solution.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.76126 ... 312!8i6656

Yes - the "temporary solution" has been in place since 1948 when the old bridge washed away.....

[aj444]

The Walton bailey bridge has been replaced since 1974, I'm pretty sure of that.

It's a superb temporary structure, complete with 15mph speed limit signs and weight restrictions and alternate flow traffic lights, with a separate footbridge. Worth a look on streetview!

I'm just trying to remember when it was replaced. Sometime in the 90s or 00s is the best I can remember off the top of my head

It's been resurfaced/refurbished a couple of times but I don't remember it being replaced?

[Iain]

Can I just say I love that bridge, so much character and charm!

[Sammy]

It's a superb temporary structure, complete with 15mph speed limit signs and weight restrictions and alternate flow traffic lights, with a separate footbridge. Worth a look on streetview!

I'm just trying to remember when it was replaced. Sometime in the 90s or 00s is the best I can remember off the top of my head

It's been resurfaced/refurbished a couple of times but I don't remember it being replaced?

It's possible it was a major refurb rather than an actual replacement I can remember. ..

[GeorgeEvans]

Further to my original post, a few days later the Burton mail reported:

"The long-awaited new £12 million bridge and bypass in Walton could soon become a reality after it was revealed a deal is almost complete. An unnamed major player in the construction industry has now submitted a bid to build the new third bridge over the River Trent in the Burton area, as well as the bypass around the village of Walton. [...] During the latest Linton [village] Area Forum meeting, Frank McArdle, chief executive of South Derbyshire District Council, revealed a bid had now been received from a firm to carry out the work but he was tight-lipped on the identity until the deal is set in stone, he said."

It's gone all quite since then, so I expect (good?) news fairly soon. When completed, the bridge would act as a 'springboard' to routes from the A38 in Staffordshire to all areas of South Derbyshire and will, in effect, become the Third Burton River Trent Bridge. I've not seen any mention in the press or planning documents of future road infrastructure improvements east of the bridge. I guess the Council are being tight-lipped about that too.

I image there will be two main issues:

• Improvements to the road from Walton to Stapenhill in Burton. This route deserves to be upgraded from 'unclassified' to a 'B' road.

• Creation of a new road from Walton to Cadley Hill island (A444) south of Swadlincote to link up with the A514 from Derby. This would be a big project involving realigning and improving the existing lanes and making short links to provide a more direct route.

The Swadlincote and Woodville areas are currently seeing massive house building and other developments, so the improvements would be very timely.

Oh well, we can dream...

https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/52. ... 1.66298,14

[GeorgeEvans]

A year on and still no news. Last autumn rumours surfaced that work was to start 'very soon'. I drove from Barton to Walton the other day and there is no sign if any work in hand.

My guess it that work will probably commence soon after financial year start. I'll let you all know when l know!

Other news. I gather no substantial upgrade of the Walton - Drakelow - Stapenhill road is intended despite the huge housing developments underway at the former Drakelow power station site. Similarly, I can find no info on the much needed extension of the A514 from the A444 at Cadley Hill to the Trent river crossing.

[Euan]

They could well start work at the beginning of the financial year if it is easier to do contractually. Even then, I'm not sure how much work would be visible to passing traffic straight away. It would probably take longer to see any substantial progress being made.

[GeorgeEvans]

The approaches will be very apparent as the contractors will need access from both the Barton Turns to Walton road (the A514 in waiting!) and the Walton to Burton road.

The abandoned earth-works can be seen from near the Bailey bridge.

[aj444]

A year on and still no news. Last autumn rumours surfaced that work was to start 'very soon'. I drove from Barton to Walton the other day and there is no sign if any work in hand.

This is dependent on developer money - the houses they were building are on hold ATM.

Similarly, I can find no info on the much needed extension of the A514 from the A444 at Cadley Hill to the Trent river crossing.

AFAIK this was just a scheme put about by a local businessman and has never been seriously considered - even though it would be a good idea!

[GeorgeEvans]

Many thanks for this.

AFAIK this was just a scheme put about by a local businessman and has never been seriously considered - even though it would be a good idea!

The gentleman in question was Roger Bullivant of the company of the same name. See Roger Bullivant Limited. Roger was the local businessman who proposed a joint public/private plan for a river crossing about twenty years ago. The plan was, in part, to enable his his heavy plant lorries to head north from the A38 to his Drakelow factory (there's a weight restriction on the narrow railway bridge on Roslistion Road - https://goo.gl/maps/oxka1ZKMzmT2).

The plan was to get county funding (Staffs & Derbs) for the bridge, and promote a 'phase 1½' new route from the bridge to Cadley Hill roundabout (A444/A514). This route would leave the Walton to Burton road near Warren Hill, along the south side of Grove Wood, cross Rosliston road southeast of Royale Farm to join the u/c road to Cadley. This section would be upgraded and a new bridge constructed under the Leicester Line railway bridge.

Sadly this plan was kicked into the long grass (shame!) and we're still waiting for the river bridge.

[GeorgeEvans]

A postscript. Note last paragraph. https://www.patrickparsons.co.uk/case-s ... on-bypass/Plus local parish minutes from last autumn speak of detail discussions over the cricket club boundary.

There's earth moving at the west end approach road, although this may be quarry related. Landscaping perhaps.