THE refurbishment of Hayhurst Bridge is running on time - but workers are now journeying into the unknown as they tackle the structure's corrosion.
The team in charge of the work expects to complete the project by October, before the main Christmas shopping period starts.
Workers who are carrying out the £3.5million facelift have now removed all the old paint from the bridge and are preparing to tackle the major repair work.
They say the work has progressed smoothly so far. Some parts of the bridge have been sent as far afield as Wrexham and York for specialist repair work to be done.
Project manager Mark Duquemin said: "We're now coming to the point when all the problems will be revealed. We did a lot of investigation work before, but it's only when we remove the paint that we can find the extent of the corrosion of the metal itself."
Although the bridge is unique, the team has experience of working on similar structures such as Northwich Town Bridge and the Anderton Boat Lift.
There has been the added difficulty of providing an alternative traffic system while the bridge is closed. Cheshire County Council believes the system has worked well but it does not plan to keep it in place when the bridge work is finished, as some people had suggested.
Rob Callend, from the council's traffic and transportation department, said the current system was not ideal for pedestrians.
He said: "At the moment it is set to return to the way it was but this doesn't mean it won't be considered in the long term."
The bridge will not look radically different when the work is completed because it is a listed building, but it will have been adapted and modernised to cope with present day levels of traffic.
Mr Duquemin said: "The paint will last for 20 to 25 years but the new steel work should last for 75 years.
"We appreciate that this is one of the fundamental pieces of infrastructure in Northwich and its refurbishment will lead to other things.
"It will help the town to turn towards the river rather than turn its back on it."
rbabington@guardiangrp.co.uk
