Langport bridge
We need to repair the railway bridge over the A378 in Langport, Somerset, to keep the line between Castle Cary and Taunton running safely and reliably.
Reconstructed in 1971, the railway bridge is a Western Box design, also known as a Llantarnum style structure. There are 38 of these structures on our Wales and Western region. These now need attention as a defect may result in cracks forming underneath the deck. We regularly inspect the bridge to check for the existing fracture worsening or new fractures forming.
What are we doing?
The bridge has 44 cross girders – 22 on each side. There is a design defect at the end of each of these that may eventually result in fracturing of the steel beam. One has already started to crack. We’ll strengthen the bridge by adding new support beams underneath. This will stop the weight of trains going through the older beams and causing fractures to form. The entire bridge will be grit-blasted, cleaned and repainted – and we’ll be fixing parts of the stonework at either end of the structure.
When is the work taking place?
We’ll start setting up our site compound on Monday 14 July 2025. This will be at the rear of the former Travis Perkins site off North Street. Our team will be based on site for the duration of the project. We will also have materials delivered here. We’ll prepare the site by putting compacted stone down. We’ll then install cabins to serve as offices, a canteen and welfare facilities for our staff. We’ll be using super-silenced generators and directional lighting to keep disturbance to nearby residents to a minimum.
The core work takes place from Monday 4 August to Sunday 31 August when we’ll work non-stop, day and night. We continue to work until Monday 22 September with further round-the-clock work on Saturday 13, Sunday 14, Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2025.
The nature of our work means some extra noise and traffic is unavoidable. We also need to work around the clock at times to complete the project as quickly and efficiently as possible. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and we’ll do our best to keep any disturbance to a minimum.
How will this work affect me?
A378 road closure
So that we can carry out our work safely, we need to fully close the A378 at the railway bridge from August 4 to 31. We will close the road from the junction of Eastover, North Street, and Moor Close to the junction of Moor Close, The Avenue, and Somerton Road.
We will put a clearly signed diversion route in place via the A378–A358–A38–A361–A372 and vice versa. We’ll keep a route open under the bridge for pedestrians.
|
Date
|
Closure
|
|---|---|
|
Monday 4 August to Monday 1 September 2025 |
Full road closure on A378. No access under the railway bridge. Diversion in place. |
|
Monday 1 to Friday 12 September 2025 |
Road open. Three-way traffic lights at night. |
|
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September 2025 |
Full road closure on A378. No access under the railway bridge. Diversion in place. |
|
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 September 2025 |
Full road closure on A378. No access under the railway bridge. Diversion in place. |
The Hanging Chapel
We appreciate that not all drivers will use the signed diversion route. Some people may choose to find an alternative route, which could include The Hill, where the Hanging Chapel stands. This structure, more formally known as the Chantry Chapel of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is a 13th-century archway, bearing a perpendicular building known as the hanging chapel. Historic England has designated it as a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.
To help ease congestion on the approach to the chapel, we will keep the area around the Chapel free from parking while the railway bridge work is carried out. The restrictions will be in place from opposite St Gilda’s Close, in front of The Old Rectory.
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Get in touch
For more information or to get in touch with us, please contact us by visiting our contact us page or by calling our 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.