Work is underway to give a well-known railway bridge in Chatham, Kent, a facelift.

The underbridge, part of the Luton Arches was built in 1858 and carries the London to Ramsgate mainline over the valley.

The bridge now needs refurbishment to ensure it can carry trains and passengers for another 160 years.

For drivers on the A2, the red and green cast arch will be a familiar sight as they travel in or out of the town.

Last year a new mural was installed on the bridge by the artist Lionel Stanhope.

As well as painting, the refurbishment works involve cleaning, masonry repairs, pigeon proofing, as well as new plates to improve track quality.

The work should be completed by the end of March and will normally take place on weekdays, there will be overnight road closures from the 13th March as scaffolding is removed.

Fiona Taylor, route director for Network Rail Kent, said: “We will be treating this historic bridge with the utmost care, restoring it to its past glory as an admired landmark in Chatham and making sure it remains safe and reliable for trains in the coming decades.”

“Regrettably, due to the nature of the work, nearby residents may experience some disturbance but we will keep that to a minimum by working during daylight hours.”

“We’ve been in close touch with local businesses and Medway Council in planning our works and I’d like to thank the Arches Local community group for their hard work and commitment in supporting this project.”

Arches Local’s Stephen Perez, said: “We’re really pleased Network Rail is carrying out this restoration work on a really important gateway to our town. We’ve been working with Network Rail on the Arches for a long time and, together with the recently completed mural, we hope this work will be the continuation of what has become a real catalyst for change in the area.”

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