Emergency work to repair a small hole found in one of the piers of Gunnislake Newbridge will run into a third day.
The bridge was temporarily closed yesterday (Wednesday 10 April) and was expected to open again on completion of the work later this afternoon.
But divers investigating the damage to the pier at the water line have found more submerged trees than expected, which will take the work into a third day.
Initial inspections haven’t raised any immediate structural concerns with the Grade One listed bridge. However, it’s essential that action is taken as soon as possible to fill the hole in order to protect the structure.
Engineers today (Thursday 11 April) have finished removing the submerged trees from the base of the pier and are putting in place a reinforced ‘deflector’ that will be attached to the pier to guard against any further damage, until a more permanent repair can be carried out this summer when water levels should be lower.
Permanent repairs can’t be made to the bridge at the moment because the water level of the river is too high. When they are undertaken the repairs will be like for like, using lime mortar and, where possible, reusing existing stone.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said:
“The ongoing wet weather is keeping river levels high with a lot of tree debris ending up in the water, and it’s unfortunate that this has led to the bridge being damaged.
“This bridge was built circa 1520, with sections rebuilt in 1773, so it’s important that we take this emergency action to protect it.
“This work can’t be carried out without a closure and we’re sorry that it will cause some inconvenience, but every effort will be made to reopen the bridge as soon as possible.”
The bridge is closed from 9:30am to 3:30pm each day. An official signed diversion is in place during those times via the A390 Callington, A388, B3362, A390 and vice versa.