Residents of Brewood, Staffordshire, are facing prolonged disruption due to the closure of the Brewood Bridge, which has split the village in two for nine months. The closure, caused by a sinkhole discovered in November on the historic, locally listed bridge, has forced residents to undertake an eight-mile detour to access local amenities, including shops, schools, and a GP surgery.
The sinkhole, believed to have resulted from a leaking water pipe, led engineers to discover further damage to the bridge walls and supporting columns. The Canal and River Trust (CRT), responsible for the bridge's repairs, initially planned to commence work in the spring. However, only preliminary repairs to water and waste pipes by Severn Trent have been completed on site, with locals fearing the bridge may not reopen until next year.
Residents attribute the delays to a dispute between Staffordshire County Council and the CRT regarding responsibility for the damage. "It's been a nightmare for everyone in the village," said Dil Griffiths, a retired canal worker. "When it happened last November, we all assumed the bridge would be repaired in a few months and life would return to normal. The amount of time it's taking is ridiculous."
Phil Shepherd, a local heating engineer, criticized the pace of the repairs, stating, "If we were in China, it would have been fixed within a week." He highlighted the practical difficulties, noting that for residents on the west side of the canal, accessing the local shop now involves a 20-minute drive. He also pointed out that emergency services would face significant delays in reaching incidents on the other side of the village, citing a 20-minute response time for a fire just 300 yards away.
Some residents, like Chris Bish, believe the damage was exacerbated by increased traffic using the bridge as a detour following a closure on the nearby M54 motorway just days before the sinkhole appeared. "It was non-stop traffic," Mr. Bish recalled. "Then a few days later, the road started to give way. The next thing, there was a huge hole there."
The closure has also impacted local businesses. Philip Kavanagh, landlord of The Bridge Inn, reported a significant drop in takings due to the loss of passing trade. "We don't get the passing trade any more, because there's no way over the bridge," he said.
The CRT acknowledged the frustration, stating that assessing the damage to the nearly 200-year-old bridge and agreeing on repair plans with partners like Severn Trent and Staffordshire County Council has taken time. Repair plans are currently with the council for approval, with preparatory works scheduled to begin at the end of the month. However, the CRT could not confirm a reopening date. Staffordshire County Council confirmed it is working with the CRT and wishes to see the bridge repaired and reopened as soon as possible. A Severn Trent spokesman confirmed initial repairs to a burst water pipe were completed, and a separate waste pipe repair was finished in March, though a further bridge movement in July caused a secondary burst that the company hopes to fix within two weeks.