Preparations under way for £6.2m bridge work

An historic bridge will stay open while preparatory work is carried out ahead of its full reconstruction.

Work to strengthen the granite piers on the Castle Cornet Bridge, which dates back to the 1800s, has begun and is expected to last about eight weeks.

The States of Guernsey said the "crumbling" bridge will be rebuilt to "modern standards" and is expected to cost about £6.2m.

Guernsey Ports said public access on the bridge which connects the Castle Emplacement to the Castle Breakwater would stay in place during the preparatory works but pedestrian access beneath the bridge would be unavailable.

The States of Guernsey said the work would involve drilling into the rubble core of the existing bridge piers and the injection of cement grout to solidify the core material of the piers.

It said the piers "are a key feature of the structure and will be retained as part of the like-for-like replacement of the bridge".

Joe Armstrong, project manager said the works were "an important first stage of the project" and were "necessary to ensure the existing granite piers can be utilised as part of the new structure".

"We have carefully planned these works so that people can continue to access Castle Cornet and the Breakwater".

The States said the main construction works were scheduled to begin in September and were expected to take about nine months.

It said the bridge would be closed to the public while the existing 75-year-old, 95m (312ft) concrete deck was demolished and a new structure was built in its place.

It said the deck had exceeded its design life and suffered corrosion, which had led to additional safety measures and a ban on vehicles since 2023.

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