Repairs to collapsed Derby canal bridge begin

The bridge has been covered in a tent to protect delicate building materials

A £250,000 repair project on a historic Derbyshire bridge which collapsed under the weight of a tractor has begun.

The 200-year-old, Grade II listed brick structure, officially known as Bridge 20, carries a farm track over the Trent and Mersey Canal in Stenson.

In October 2008 part of it gave way, dumping a trailer into the canal and blocking the waterway.

Now British Waterways has begun repairs using traditional materials and techniques, along with reinforcements.

British Waterways said it had taken 15 months to begin because it usually undertook major projects during the quieter winter season and there had not been time to organise the work last winter.

Higher costs

Project manager Eddie Quinn explained why it was costing a quarter of a million pounds: "A lot of the materials have had to be sourced locally and are bespoke to the project and a lot of the techniques are fairly specialist.

"One of the reasons it is shrouded in a big tent is we have to keep the mortar warm while it sets and it takes a lot more time and a lot more man hours than normal."

It is expected the bridge will reopen by the end of March.

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