FAQs - Temporary road bridge

Below is a list of frequently asked questions on the temporary road bridge which will be built to join North and South Workington. 

Q: When will the Workington’s temporary road bridge be open?

A: Workington’s temporary road bridge was opened on Wednesday 21 April from 10.30 am.  This was five weeks ahead of schedule.

In a construction process that took only 72 days - believed to be one of the fastest temporary road bridge builds of this size ever in the UK - Cumbria County Council and contractor Morgan Est have re-established a direct road link between the two sides of Workington across the River Derwent for the first time since November’s floods.

The initial target date for the opening had been May 28th, but excellent progress with the work means traffic, cyclists and pedestrians was able to start using the bridge from 10.30am on Wednesday, April 21 

Q: What sort of bridge is it?

A:  It is a two-lane, 350 tonne temporary road bridge (Janson bridge) suitable to take vehicles including HGV’s up to a gross vehicle weight of 44 tonnes and will have a separate footway for pedestrians and cyclists.  It will be 67 metres long and 12 metres wide.

The project will require an estimated 500 tonnes of concrete and a further 900 tonnes of tarmac for the bridge surface and approach roads.

Q:  Will HGV’s be able to use the bridge?

A:  Yes, HGVs with up to a gross vehicle weight of 44 tonnes will be able to use the bridge. This is important for local businesses who need freight to be able to travel to and from the area easily and economically. 

Q:  Where is the temporary road bridge being constructed

A:  It will be built around 200 metres east (upstream) of the collapsed Northside bridge. 

Q:  Why have you not put the bridge at the site of Workington (Calva) Bridge?

A:  If we placed the temporary bridge at the site of Workington (Calva) Bridge, this would prevent us from putting a permanent bridge back at this site. 

Q:  Who is building the bridge?

A:  Morgan Est will be building the bridge. Up to 35 workers will be on site building the bridge and approach roads, seven days a week. 

Q:  How will the temporary bridge affect traffic flows?

A:   As we will only have one temporary crossing there will inevitably be some congestion and traffic queues, particularly at peak times.   We are asking people to consider how they travel and to use a variety of travel options, including public transport, school transport, walking, cycling as well as using the road bridge. We are also putting into place a number of new traffic management plans to help Keep Workington Moving. 

Q:  How long will the temporary road bridge be in place?

A:  We believe a realistic timescale time for a new permanent road bridge to be in place is 2 years – the temporary road bridge will need to be in operation until a permanent bridge is open. 

Permanent solutions for Workington

Q:  Will both Northside Bridge and Workington (Calva) Bridge be replaced permanently?

A:  We are currently examining and determining the options for permanent bridges in parallel with the temporary bridge solution. 

Q:  Will Workington (Calva) Bridge be demolished?

A:  Workington (Calva) Bridge is a Grade II listed structure. Currently we are in discussions with a range of interested parties who need to be involved and have a say in precisely what will happen to this bridge. Repair of the bridge has not been ruled out. 

Q:  When will a decision be taken about the location of the permanent bridges?

A:  We are currently identifying and evaluating appropriate sites and announce these as soon as we are able. However, our top priority remains the delivery of a temporary road bridge solution in Workington.