Ringway Wiltshire replaces lighting on Grade I listed Bradford on Avon town bridge

Ringway Wiltshire replaces lighting on Grade I listed Bradford on Avon town bridge

Ringway Wiltshire has restored the streetlighting on a historic Grade I listed bridge to its former glory after successfully completing a major scheme which has been hailed a huge success by a local preservation society.

The antique streetlights on Town Bridge in Bradford on Avon bridge have been refurbished and the existing cabling replaced with a modern waterproof alternative, in a scheme which also required structural works undertaken in line with English Heritage guidelines.

To comply with the guidelines, Kent Baxter, Structures Assistant Contract Manager, worked with Minerva, a specialist local masonry subcontractor to cut and shape new coping stones out of Bath Stone to replace damaged ones where the old columns were removed.

The structures team also provided access for the streetlighting team, led by Leo Cordial, to replace cabling beneath the arches via a specialist under-bridge unit. Specialised waterproof cabling was used to join the antique streetlights which were removed and refurbished before they were refitted along with new power points for festive lighting.

Mick Buckler, Ringway Wiltshire Divisional Manager, said: “This was by no means a straight-forward job and it was thanks to real teamwork and collaboration between all those involved that the bridge has been restored to its former glory in time for the festive season.”

The works, which took place during November as part of Ringway Wiltshire’s term maintenance contract, were months in the planning due to the complicated nature and traffic management access restrictions.

They were hailed a success by John Potter, chairman of the Bradford on Avon Preservation Trust, who said: “The refurbishment and replacement of the wonderful lights on the Town Bridge is an absolute triumph, they look absolutely perfect. Although the job was difficult and involved much interaction with huge amounts of traffic, the team involved were always helpful and polite and were as flexible as possible.”