Next month, work to replace two railway bridges in Thanet, Kent will be carried out by Network Rail.

Over the weekend of 12th June, work will take place on Minnis Road and Creek River bridges, near Birchington-on-Sea.

The bridges have come to the end of their working life and speed restrictions have been placed on them.

Preparation works on the two bridges is already underway.

Two large cranes which are capable of lifting over 600 tonnes will be used to remove the old bridge decks and replace them with new ones.

Once the new bridge decks have been installed, and the tracks relaid, the speed restrictions can be lifted.

The new bridge decks have been made in Nottingham and will be transported to the site by road,

Rail replacement buses will operate between Birchington-on-Sea and Herne Bay stations while the bridges are replaced. As pedestrian access under the railway at Minnis Road will be prohibited, a mini-bus service will operate between both sides of the bridge.

Fiona Taylor, Network Rail’s Route Director for Kent, said: “These two bridges have reached the end of their useful lives and their replacement will provide passengers with smoother and more reliable journeys.

“There is never a good time to close the railway so we are doing everything we can to replace both bridges over a single weekend, minimising disruption for road and rail users.”

Scott Brightwell, Train Services Director at Southeastern, said: “We support these works taking place which will allow line speeds in the area to be restored back to their maximum allowing us to offer a better service to our passengers.

“Rail replacement services will be in place and passengers affected will only face minimal delays in getting to their destinations.”

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