Engineer Reflects on Repairing Britain’s ‘Most Bashed’ Bridge

An engineer who previously worked for British Rail has recounted his involvement in the repair and replacement of a bridge during the 1970s, a structure that has gained notoriety in recent times for its frequent collisions. The A5 Watling Street railway bridge, situated in Hinckley, Leicestershire, formerly recognized as Britain’s most frequently struck bridge, has experienced over twelve impacts this year. Brian Maddison recalls the bridge’s replacement following an incident in 1975 where it was lifted “about 3ft in the air,” noting that a local individual prevented a catastrophe by halting an oncoming train approaching the compromised structure. In response to inquiries regarding the bridge’s current difficulties, the 78-year-old humorously remarked: “Stop hitting my bridge!” Conversations are currently underway concerning a resolution for the problems associated with the bridge, which earned the designation of Britain’s “most bashed” after being struck 25 times between 2019 and 2020. Agrarian Development Holdings has received authorization to construct a warehouse and office complex on an adjacent plot. A component of this undertaking would involve reducing the road level beneath the bridge. Although this measure might resolve the problem of bridge strikes, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council has cautioned that it would lead to enduring traffic congestion. National Highways has now informed the BBC that the initiative to decrease the road’s elevation beneath the bridge might commence in the spring. Brian, a resident of Bingham in Nottinghamshire, elaborated that he and a group of British Rail engineers were dispatched to the location in 1975. He stated: “An excavator on the back of a low loader lorry came through from the south, and they hadn’t quite stowed the arm down low enough.” He continued: “It cleared the first girder of the bridge, but then struck the girder on the far side and because of the angle and the strength of the arm of the excavator, it actually managed to raise the bridge about 3ft in the air, which of course was an extremely dangerous situation.” Brian recounted that immediately after the bridge became inoperable, a catastrophe was prevented thanks to the prompt intervention of a local employee. Brian further stated: “Fortunately, a man who was working at a firm on the other side of the bridge heard the crash and saw the danger and ran up on to the railway to stop an approaching train – otherwise it would have been a real disaster.” Following the incident, the priority was to restore access for both road vehicles and trains without delay. Brian mentioned: “I went to our stock yard at Toton [in Nottinghamshire] and arranged to load up a couple of temporary beams that could be used to reinstate one of the lines. “I think within about three days, we got the first line open. We got the temporary bridge put in, which enabled the railway and the road to reopen.” The provisional bridge proved effective, remaining operational for a year while a new primary bridge segment was designed and fabricated. Subsequently, a window was identified to install the new bridge, which has persisted in its location until the present time. Brian was employed by British Rail for 31 years prior to establishing his own private sector firm, which also undertook railway initiatives. Upon revisiting the bridge’s location for the first time in several decades, he remarked: “I’ve enjoyed looking at it. I see they’ve added on some protection beams since I was here, but other than that it’s the same bridge.” National Highways has now verified to the BBC that it is collaborating with developers to “achieve technical assurance, which includes flood alleviation work” before commencing efforts to lower the road. A spokesperson further stated: “Plans to lower the road are being undertaken by Padge Hall Development, which has planning consent in place and hopes to start work in the spring of 2025.” Brian endorses the proposal to lower the road, facilitating the passage of larger vehicles. He further explained: “That is certainly the most economic option, because the option of raising the railway line is very expensive because you can only alter the gradient on a line by a very small amount, so to raise the bridge you would have to maybe raise the line for a mile in each direction, gradually, to get the height you needed.” He expresses optimism that this undertaking will ultimately resolve the ongoing issues at the bridge. He concluded: “Even though that might not be an easy thing to do… engineering-wise it’s certainly possible.”