Highways England is replacing a reinforced concrete bridge that crosses the A5 at Atherstone, north Warwickshire, with a new steel one.

The new wider bridge can be safely used by both pedestrians and cyclists and the gradient of the new access ramps will meet modern standards. The headroom clearance of the bridge over traffic using the dual carriageway will also be altered to meet current regulations.

The new version will be built close to the existing one, which serves the Queen Elizabeth Academy, to ensure there is a crossing point and minimise the disruption for pedestrians and the local community.

Highways England Project Manager, Dave Lynch, said: “It’s important pedestrians and cyclists are able to cross our roads safely. We are replacing the existing bridge with a new one that is more accessible, meets the current standards and will reduce the need for extensive maintenance to be carried out on the bridge for many years.”

The installation will be carried out in two phases. Early works are taking place this week which will include vegetation clearance and preparation for a contraflow which will be used during the main works.