A major milestone has been reached at Zouch, with a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the reopening of the £19.6 million bridge to local traffic.
The new bridge on the A6006 near Hathern will open to local traffic and bus services by Monday 6 July.
The opening preview of Zouch bridge was marked by a special ceremony bringing together involved partners. The Leader of Leicestershire County Council officially opened the bridge, joined by the Chairman of the County Council Linda Danks, main contractor Eric Wright Civil Engineering and local schoolchildren for a ribbon cutting.
The historic crossing has long been an important link between Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire, connecting communities and supporting travel and trade across the region for generations with the previous bridge, which is no longer fit for purpose, dating back to 1930.
Due to the presence of overhead high-voltage cables, the new bridge couldn’t be constructed in the standard way using cranes. Steel beams were essentially shunted 36 metres across the River Soar using a specialist jacking system. New approach roads were also created as part of the scheme and nearly 500 metres of new road surface laid.
The project has also made a positive economic, environmental and social impact beyond construction. More than 400 students have taken part in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers activities linked to the scheme, helping inspire future engineers.
Businesses have benefited from £2.8 million of spending in the local economy, new job opportunities have been created and two donations have been made, to the Peter Le Marchant Trust and Loughborough Boat Club, supporting their work in the community.
This is an important milestone for local communities and everyone who has been part of delivering this project.
It’s wonderful to see the new bridge open and to provide something that will serve the area well for many years to come. As well as improving a key route, the project has supported local jobs, businesses and young people, creating a positive legacy beyond the bridge itself.
The A6006 is a vital link, connecting people to the airport and freeport developments, and we’ve worked hard to deliver a high-quality, future-ready bridge while keeping disruption to a minimum by building it alongside the existing structure.
We know the work has not been without inconvenience, and I’d like to sincerely thank residents and businesses for their patience and support throughout.
Person:Councillor Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council
Gavin Hulme, Managing Director for Eric Wright Civil Engineering, said: “We’re proud to have delivered this important project milestone and reach this key stage of the scheme.
“This has been a complex build with a number of challenges, and we’d like to thank the local community for their understanding throughout. It’s great to see the bridge reopen and reconnect the area, and we will now move forward with the next phase of works to safely demolish the old bridge.”
With the new bridge now in use, work will move on to removing the old structure and completing final elements of the scheme, with everything expected to finish in autumn 2026.
Access has already been opened to pedestrians, walkers, cyclists, wheeled access and horse riders.
The full A6006 route between the A6 in Leicestershire and the A60 in Nottinghamshire will reopen once Network Rail completes its work at nearby Kirk Hill Bridge, which is expected later in July. Until then, through traffic and HGVs will need to continue using the signed diversion routes.