Closure of a collapsing water-damaged medieval bridge for vital maintenance work has been delayed.

After the partial collapse of long bridge in Lower Heyford, near Bicester, earlier this year, Oxfordshire County Council’s bridge engineers said the modern carriageway on top of the bridge doesn’t drain water properly.

They maintained the collapse was caused by water from the carriageway getting into and weakening the fabric of the bridge.

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The county council completed work on a temporary propping system to prevent further deterioration of the grade II listed structure in April. Further repairs to the stonework will take place over the next five weeks.

A spokesperson for Cherwell District Council said the council has received an application for minor amendments to the existing listed building consent, which is currently under consultation.

But agreements are in place to allow for urgent repair works to go ahead before consent is signed off.

Despite the pressing need for resurfacing and drainage, this work will now take place in September, with the bridge closure for these improvements having originally been planned for July.

On the urgent need for resurfacing and drainage improvements, councillor Ian Corkin, said: “It is absolutely essential this is done. The professional consensus is that the drainage is inadequate, water finds its way into the rubble core, washing it out and eventually causing the sort of collapse we have seen.

“I’m not entirely sure why the work closure period and improvements have been postponed, but I suspect it’s a mix of the complexity of dealing with a listed structure and the fact that some of the repairs need time to properly dry before the surfacing work begins.

“The county council tell me they intend to return in late September to complete the resurfacing and drainage improvements for a period of roughly five weeks.

“A full road closure and diversion route will be required. The current proposal will introduce grates at regular intervals along the carriageway, connected to pipes within the bridge, to take the surface water and dispose of it via stone chutes.”

The bridge was originally built in 1550 to carry horse and cart.

It has been in disrepair for a number of years, with parish councillors and local householders calling for weight restrictions to be applied, amid frequent use of the bridge by HGVs and other large vehicles.

Parish councillor for Lower Heyford, Ric Fowles, has argued that the partial collapse earlier this year was due to overloading and strain caused by HGVs crossing.

But the county council maintains it is water damage that has led to the decay of the structure.

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1