Residents drop-in event to discuss Iron Bridge conservation project
A special public drop-in session to discuss English Heritage’s upcoming conservation project on the Iron Bridge will take place in Ironbridge on Tuesday 8 August.
The public event is from 4 – 7pm at Number Nine café in Ironbridge (9 The Wharfage, Ironbridge, TF8 7AW), and will offer an opportunity for anyone with an interest in the project to meet those involved and find out more.
Erected in 1779 over the River Severn in the cradle of the Industrial Revolution, the Iron Bridge was the first single span arch bridge in the world to be made of cast iron and was a turning point in engineering.
However Britain’s best-known industrial monument is suffering from cracking due to stresses in the ironwork dating from the original construction, ground movement over the centuries, and an earthquake at the end of the 19th century.
The Iron Bridge has been in the care of English Heritage since 1975 and the charity has undertaken regular conservation and monitoring during that time. Now, a major conservation project will see the different elements of the bridge – the iron radials and braces holding the bridge together, the deck plates and wedges, the main iron arch, and the stone abutments on either side of the River Severn – undergo thorough examination and conservation. The cast iron pieces will be carefully cleaned and conserved, and the bridge will also be re-painted.
Works are due to commence on site in September, and the first stage will involve scaffolding being erected around the bridge. While this is a considerable task, the scaffolding has been specially-designed to prioritise safe pedestrian access over the bridge during the works.
Councillor Rae Evans, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Tourism, said: “I would encourage residents and business people to attend next week’s drop in event to learn more about the project so they are up to speed with English Heritage’s plans.
“It is perhaps appropriate that our most famous landmark will be getting a substantial upgrade during Telford’s 50th anniversary year – meaning that the structure will be future proofed for generations to come.”
More information about the project will be available at the Iron Bridge conservation project public drop-in session on Tuesday 8th August, 4 – 7pm.
Iron Bridge Conservation Project drop-in event
Thursday 8th August 2017
4 – 7pm
Venue - Number Nine, 9 The Wharfage, Ironbridge, TF8 7AW
