An eight-month project to restore a Staffordshire Grade II Listed road bridge reaches its next phase in September.

Chetwynd Bridge near Alrewas is 200 years old and its ironwork structure has started to deteriorate. A carefully planned restoration is now under way.

A structural assessment found that an 18-tonne weight restriction needs to be placed on the bridge to prevent it from deteriorating further and protect people’s safety. The weight restriction will be introduced on September 5. Emergency and essential service vehicles will be exempt.

Staffordshire County Council is designing and plans to build a new bypass road bridge to remove traffic off Chetwynd Bridge. This will become a pedestrian and cycleway bridge.

For the first time the project team will be using solar panels on site to help power the works and support the county council’s commitment to combat climate change.

Staffordshire County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport David Williams said: “Chetwynd Bridge is listed and a historic asset to people in Staffordshire and neighbouring Derbyshire. It has been in need of repair for some time and work is now under way to ensure it is safe to use and in keeping with its historic status.

“An independent structural assessment check which indicated the need for a weight restriction and this will be introduced on September 5. This should however exempt emergency and essential services vehicles. We’re keeping local communities and businesses informed as we carry out the works which includes what we can and cannot do in terms of bridge access.

“We do of course understand this will place an inconvenience on local residents, but we cannot compromise safety.

“In the longer term, the county council is planning to remove all vehicular traffic from Chetwynd Bridge and put it onto the new bypass road bridge. This will transform Chetwynd Bridge into a cycle and pedestrian route and preserve it for future generations.”