LONDON Road bridge in Derby is set to close for four months longer than expected – heaping further misery on the city's motorists.
Network Rail says the bridge, on one of the main routes into the city, will now reopen "before Christmas" instead of the target of August. This could mean a total closure time of 16 months.
Businesses already hit by the £6.9 million bridge replacement work have called the delay "farcical". One firm says it has already lost "tens of thousands" in trade due to the road closure.
The news comes after it was announced that roadworks on the A38 which had been due to finish earlier this month had been extended until July because a protected species – white-clawed crayfish – was found near the site.
The London Road bridge project is a joint scheme between Network Rail and Derby City Council.
A Network Rail spokesman said the delay was down to issues with the "design and build of the bridge" and "the supply of the steel required".
He said: "We apologise to the people of Derby that work to replace London Road bridge is taking longer than originally planned. Our teams are working hard to minimise the delay. We are confident that the bridge will reopen before Christmas and are working to bring that date forwards if at all possible."
The work, which started on August 19 last year, is needed because the bridge's 135-year-old structure had deteriorated so much that it was propped up by supports. This had meant that a 7.5-tonne weight limit was put in force.
But businesses in the area had always feared an impact on their trade and say they have been proven right.
Ray Wheatley, director of Willbond Plumbing Centre, in London Road, said the site's bathroom showroom was dependent on passing trade. He estimated trade worth "tens of thousands of pounds" had been lost because of the road closure.
Mr Wheatley said: "I'm not surprised at the delay, given how we've seen work progressing, but I'm very disappointed because they assured us it would be a 12-month project."
He added: "It's a problem for us as a business because we are now in a cul-de-sac. We came here because it was on a main road."
Richard Slater, joint-owner of Boutique Florist, called it a "farce". He said: "Replacing the bridge is obviously necessary but if it was a private company doing the job I'm sure they would have been fined for this sort of delay."
Mr Slater said he linked the bridge closure to the florist's takings being down for Christmas, Mother's Day, and Valentine's Day.
AA spokesman Luke Bosdet said the delay would reflect badly on Network Rail and the council. He said: "If it had just gone through to August it may have been bearable for motorists. The schools are out, people take time off work and then they come back to the road being open heading into winter.
"I think drivers will have got used to the delays but knowing its going to go on will ramp up the backlash."
Derby City Council leader Ranjit Banwait said he was "extremely disappointed" about the delays. He said: "Excellent progress has been made in terms of redirecting utilities – people forget that there has been such complex work – but we are now pressing the contractors very hard, aiming for completion by November, to make sure that the work is done before Christmas.
"We are also looking at what penalties we can impose for the delays."
The A38 works affected by the crayfish are at Little Eaton roundabout. An inbound stretch of the A61 leading up to Little Eaton Island was closed for 28 hours earlier this week after workmen damaged a water pipe.
