Gipsy Patch Lane Railway Bridge Archives

Photo showing pedestrian route under the bridge.

Saturday 27th March 2021 SH (Editor)

Bridge reopening could be further delayed as drainage pumps deemed inadequate

The projected date for reopening the road under the new railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane looks likely to be further delayed after engineers decided a larger pumping station will be required to prevent flooding.

Photo of the bridge stuck around 30m short of its required position.

Sunday 8th November 2020 SH (Editor)

Gipsy Patch Lane mega-bridge move runs into trouble on soft ground

The installation of a £26m replacement railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane, Little Stoke didn’t quite go to plan over the final week in October, when the 4,260-tonne mega-structure became stuck in soft ground as it was being wheeled into position.

Photo of the railway bridge days before its expected demolition.

Saturday 24th October 2020 SH (Editor)

Critical phase of railway bridge replacement project about to start

The project to replace the narrow-arched Victorian railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane (Little Stoke) with a much wider concrete structure enters a critical phase tonight (Saturday 24th October) with the start of a 13-day railway closure during which the old bridge will be demolished and its pre-fabricated replacement installed.

Photo of the replacement bridge standing in the site compound.

Thursday 8th October 2020 SH (Editor)

New railway bridge set to be installed this month

Installation of the replacement railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane is set to take place during a 13-day closure of the railway starting on 25th October, barring any last-minute setbacks resulting from the resurgent coronavirus pandemic. However, the road under the bridge is set to remain fully closed until July 2021.

Photo of the footpath under the railway bridge (west side).

Sunday 27th September 2020 SH (Editor)

Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge footpath to be closed on Monday

The footpath under the railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane, which has provided access to pedestrians and cyclists over the summer, will close on the morning of Monday 28th September. The closure is in preparation for the bridge replacement works, which start 24th October.

Photo of road closure signs and barriers.

Tuesday 8th September 2020 SH (Editor)

Gipsy Patch Lane roadworks to last another TWO YEARS

Road users in the Stokes will have to put up with Gipsy Patch Lane being fully closed or restricted by traffic management measures for at least another two years, the Journal can reveal. Once the new bridge has been installed, highway works on Gipsy Patch Lane east and west of the bridge will continue until the end of 2022.

Photo of the east side of the existing railway bridge during the road closure in March 2020.

Monday 13th July 2020 SH (Editor)

Rail bridge installation delayed until autumn

A new date has been confirmed for the installation of the replacement railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane following the postponement of the work due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bridge move will now take place between 24th October and 7th November 2020.

Monday 13th April 2020 TH (Reporter)

Pedestrian and cyclist route reopened under Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge

A narrow footpath, suitable for pedestrians and dismounted cyclists only, has been reopened under the railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane. The news comes a week after Network Rail announced that it had decided to postpone plans to replace the bridge during a nine-day closure of the railway over Easter

Photomontage of the proposed replacement railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane, looking westwards

Friday 3rd April 2020 TH (Reporter)

Coronavirus crisis: Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge replacement postponed

Plans to demolish the existing narrow-arch railway bridge on Gipsy Patch Lane and replace it with a much wider concrete structure during a nine-day railway closure over Easter have been postponed as a consequence of the coronavirus crisis.

Photo of 'road closed' signs and barrier at the railway bridge in June 2019.

Tuesday 3rd March 2020 SH (Editor)

Gipsy Patch Lane: 8-month full road closure set to start on Thursday

Residents of the Stokes who use Gipsy Patch Lane to access employment, shopping and leisure facilities to the west of the railway line are being encouraged to plan ahead for an eight-month full closure of the road that is due to start on Thursday 5th March. The road closure is needed so that a new, much-wider railway bridge can be