Major structural repairs to Harrington Bridge, which crosses the River Trent at Sawley, will start in August as part of our £70 million capital programme, which is delivering safer, stronger and more resilient highways and infrastructure across the county.
Derbyshire County Council says it is investing £760,000 this year as part of the final phase of a £1.4 million project to refurbish the 116-year-old bridge, which carries the B6540 Tamworth Road over the River Trent.
Work will start on Monday 3 August 2026 and continue until Friday 27 November 2026, with the road remaining open to vehicles throughout most of the scheme. Some temporary lane closures and three overnight weekend closures for motorised traffic will be required later in the programme. Pedestrian access will remain available at all times.
Improvements include:
- Repainting all steelwork below the waterline and replacing heavily corroded steel on the bridge’s piers.
- Replacing expansion joints buried in the road surface.
- Resurfacing sections of the road and pavements as part of our ‘fence-to-fence’ working to make road closures more efficient, tackling a number of maintenance jobs while our team is on site.
The Cabinet Member for Highways, Councillor Charlotte Hill, said:
“We understand how important Harrington Bridge is to the local community, including residents, businesses and visitors, and we’re committed to protecting the bridge and maintaining it to keep it resilient and safe for years to come.
“These crucial works are part of our wider £70 million capital programme, which is enabling us to deliver safer, stronger and more resilient bridges, roads and infrastructure across Derbyshire.
“I’d like to thank local people in advance for their patience while these important repairs are completed.”
There will be temporary two-way traffic lights in operation 24/7 from Monday 12 October 2026 until Friday 13 November 2026. These will be manually controlled between 7 am and 7 pm, Monday to Saturday, to reduce delays.
In addition, three overnight closures are planned from 8 pm until 9 am on the following dates and will also affect the Trentbarton Service 15, Skylink Nottingham and the Number 7 Soar Valley Community Bus services:
- Saturday 24 October 2026 to Sunday 25 October 2026
- Saturday 7 November 2026 to Sunday 8 November 2026
- Saturday 14 November 2026 to Sunday 15 November 2026
A signed diversion route will be in place via Tamworth Road, Wilne Road, Sawley Road, the A6005, the A5111, the A6, the A50 Junction 1 roundabout and the B6540.
Dates may change at the last minute due to weather conditions or issues on site.
In 2023, the upper part of the bridge’s steel structure was repainted and corroded steel was replaced to safeguard its future.
