Road reopens after refurbishment of Frome railway bridge

Network Rail says it has completed work to refurbish Portway railway bridge in Frome, with the road under the bridge now open to traffic again.

The 1970s bridge has been strengthened to stop faults developing in the future. With work now complete, the A362, which runs under the bridge, has reopened to all traffic.

Network Rail added that additional steel had been installed on the underside of the bridge to more efficiently distribute the weight of trains, which are now faster and run more frequently than when the bridge was built. The structure has also been grit-blasted, repainted and new anti-collision markings have been added.

The work is the latest in a series of projects completed over the past year to ensure bridges across the West remain safe long into the future.

Vaheesan Maheswaran, Network Rail Lead Portfolio Manager, said: “We thank people living in and around Frome for their patience while we completed our work.

“It’s essential all our bridges are fit for a modern railway and this work will keep passengers and road users safe for decades to come.”