GAZETTE THROUGH THE YEARS: Temporary A38 bridge at Berkeley proposed

Gloucestershire County Council was set to construct two bridges on the A38 – a temporary structure at Berkeley as well as a permanent bridge in Gossington.

The temporary structure was estimated to cost more than half of the £40,675 budgeted for the two projects despite “not being a thing of beauty”.

Both existing bridges were owned by railway companies until the passing of the Trunk Roads Act in which they became the responsibility of the government.

It was then decided that extra provision was required for the railway crossings with the county council unveiling the plans as the government’s agent.

Mr Millard criticised the plans, questioning whether there was any signs of structural failures of the existing bridges and was “disturbed” by the high cost of the work.

County surveyor Mr Boyce said that the bridges were known to be weak according to accepted standards although there was no specific evidence of any failure of the structures.

He added that he was surprised to learn of the very large number of abnormally heavy loads which passed over the bridges with, on several occasions, loads of 100 tons using the roads.

In his report to the county highways committee at the council Mr Boyce said that tenders had been received for the work at Gossington but that the acceptance of one at £11,888 7s 3d was delayed pending approval from the Ministry of Transport for the revised scheme.

Referring to the temporary bridge at Berkeley, he said it would be used for heavy traffic and that it was temporary in respect that the government hoped to be able to rebuild the existing bridge at some point in the future to make it strong enough to carry the heavy loads at which point the temporary steel bridge would be removed.

The work, it was said, would be carried out at some point after April 1 ,1950.
On Sunday, March 23, 1952, the new, temporary steel bridge was lifted into position.