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Network Rail will be undertaking critical repairs to Claverton Street railway bridge this summer to ensure the continued safe and reliable running of the railway to, from and through the city of Bath.

Network Rail will begin work on Claverton Street railway bridge – which sits above the A36 at Churchill Bridge roundabout to the south of Bath city centre – on Monday 20 June, lasting until Sunday 16 October. To minimise disruption to road users and rail passengers, the refurbishment will take place at night.

Between the hours of 6am and 7pm daily, the road will be open as usual and train services will remain unaffected throughout.

The bridge, which sits just outside Bath Spa station, needs extensive steel and brickwork repairs so it can continue to safely and reliably carry train services in, out and through the city.

Around 17,500 tourists, commuters and visitors travel by train to Bath Spa station every day and, once complete, this work will extend the lifespan of this important railway bridge that serves the station for at least another 25 years.

As part of this £800,000 project, Network Rail’s team of engineers will be working throughout evenings both trackside on the top of the bridge, and from the road underneath the bridge grit-blasting (a process which involves forcibly propelling abrasive material against a surface at high pressure) and repairing metalwork, before applying a protective layer of paint. Brickwork repairs will also be completed to sides and support structures of the bridge.

To carry out this work safely for rail and road users, and pedestrians, the A36 at Churchill Bridge roundabout will need to be closed to all eastbound and southbound traffic from 7pm to 6am between 20 June and 16 October seven days a week. Between 20 August and 9 October Network Rail’s engineers will only be working trackside each Saturday evening meaning the road closure on Saturdays will differ, lasting between midnight and 7am.

During this period of work, a diversion route, approved by Bath and North East Somerset Council, will be in place as follows:

All northbound traffic including access to the A4 London Road, A46 and M4 motorway will travel via Green Park Road and Charles Street to Queen Square, and then via Gay Street and George Street onto the A4 The Paragon.

All eastbound traffic including access to Bathwick, Bathampton and Warminster, will travel via the A3039 Dorchester Street and Manvers Street to North Parade before turning left onto the A36 Pulteney Road (South).

All southbound traffic including access to the A367 Wellsway to Radstock and Midsomer Norton will travel via the A3039 Dorchester Street and Manvers Street to North Parade before turning right onto the A36 Pulteney Road (South).

All Westbound traffic towards Keynsham and Bristol leaving the city centre will either follow the southbound diversion before travelling onwards via the A36 Lower Bristol Road, or travel out of Bath via the A4 Upper Bristol Road.

Some quick thoughts on this:

1. Dorchester Street will be carrying diverting traffic in both directions, as well as buses accessing the bus station and station traffic. That is going to severely affect access to the bus station and rail station during the evenings, and affect bus journey times.

2. The described access for west bound traffic seems to imply that Churchill Bridge roundabout will still be open for traffic that keeps south of the river going through it. Is that the case?

3. Will pedestrian and cycle access be maintained around the roundabout during closed periods?

As I read it, the roundabout is only blocked one one side, nearest the station. So traffic getting onto it from Claverton Road or Wells Road can still go onwards to Lower Bristol Road or across the river. The diversion is a replacement for the closed eastern side of the roundabout, so will be essentially one-way (though along roads that are mostly two-way).

I can't see how cyclists' use of the roads could be maintained, but if it's dry enough you could presumably make your own short diversion through an arch and across the grass. Or that could be made official, probably as a walking (dismounted) route. Or does that involve too much common sense?