Kelham Bridge to close for repairs

A bridge on the main road between Newark and Southwell is due to be closed for most of August for parapet repairs.

Work on Kelham Bridge, on the A617, will start on Sunday, when the road will be closed from 6am to 11.30am.

It will then shut Mondays to Fridays, 9am to 4.30pm, but will be open at weekends.

The county council’s highways contractor, Via, said every effort would be made to ensure the bridge reopened every evening and weekend, if it was safe to do so.

While the closure is in place Kelham Lane, South Muskham, will be closed from the South Muskham island for ten metres for health and safety reasons.

A diversion is from the A617 Main Road on to the A616 Ollerton Road (Little Carlton) to the A616 Great North Road (South Muskham) through to the A616 (Newark) and vice versa.

Traffic signals will be on the A616 Ollerton Road between Little Carlton and Kelham to help traffic flow.

Mr Phil Knight, project engineer, said: "On November 27 last year there was an accident that resulted in a vehicle striking and demolishing the bridge parapet so the work is to rebuild the brickwork.

"We have left it until the school holidays to minimise disruption because it is generally the most quiet time on the roads.

"Rather than using a scaffold, which we did last time the bridge was closed and had to remain closed all day, we are using an under-bridge unit that we can move on and reopen the bridge."

The work is due to be finished by August 24.