The Department of Infrastructure has submitted plans (22/00492/B) to refurbish a historic railway bridge.

The works would include the addition of a new pedestrian footpath on the west side of Santon Bridge.

It will be strengthened by excavation down to the masonry arch and with the placing of a concrete saddle over the arch, with a new deck with cantilevers then constructed to widen the bridge, giving better sight lines for vehicles. The work will also provide higher parapet walls on each side to comply with current standards.

The life of the bridge, which is near to Santon Station and Murray’s Motorcycle Museum, would be prolonged by the works, the DoI stated in an accompanying planning statement.

It forms part of the department’s programme of upgrades to highway bridges on primary routes, which will allow for the higher weight limit of 40/44 tonnes to be safely supported (as traffic uses the bridge to cross the steam railway line).

To ensure that the aesthetics of the bridge are not altered, the concrete faces will have a stone facade fixed to them that will match the existing stonework. Works would be carried out between 2022 and 2023 at the same time as the proposed highway improvement works for the A5 (which is the road that crosses along the bridge).