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We are investing in North Somerset and all these things will benefit our area, creating a better place to live and work, both now and for the future.
We have worked hard to secure funding from the Government to deliver these projects. We appreciate they may cause some disruption while they are completed but the lasting legacy will benefit our communities.
This month we look at the history of Winterstoke Road Bridge which is being replaced 80 years after it was built.
Winterstoke Road Bridge has been a vital link through Weston, dating back to the Second World War, a time when British aircraft production was one of the largest industries in the country.
It was during the war that Sir Winston Churchill formed the Ministry of Aircraft Production. The Ministry worked to secure materials and created supply lines needed to ensure enough planes were built and deployed to the RAF.
Oldmixon was chosen as one of three locations in Weston to expand aeroplane production and in 1941 the factory’s first Bristol Beaufighter aircraft took to the air.
In the same year construction of Winterstoke Road Bridge began. It was designed to support the war effort, providing easy access to vehicles and workers travelling to the RAF’s factory.
The original 31m by 12m bridge was swung into place over the rail lines in autumn 1941, but cracks appeared in the concrete and repair works had to be completed. By 1943 workers buses were finally allowed to cross the bridge, albeit with a speed limit of 5mph.
After the war the bridge opened to public traffic. It was around this time that the area produced aluminium ‘prefab’ bungalows to help tackle the post-war housing shortage.
The aircraft industry continued to be prominent in the area for many years, including various sites for aircraft maintenance and Westland Helicopters.
Until the present day the bridge has continued to be important to residents and visitors, vital to all kinds of journeys as the area has grown, offering a connection between communities, homes, schools, jobs and leisure.
In recent years it has enabled around 20,000 journeys each day, testament to the part it plays in our local transport network. It is a crucial route, which is why it’s important that the ageing bridge is replaced with one built to last for the next 120 years.
By replacing Winterstoke Road Bridge, we’re making a key, long-term investment into local infrastructure, an investment that will maintain and expand current road capacity while also building the resilience and reliability needed to prepare for future growth.
The new bridge will also support more sustainable journeys by foot and bike, as well as lifting current weight restrictions for heavier vehicles such as buses.
The temporary footbridge will maintain access throughout construction of the new Winterstoke Road Bridge.
The original Winterstoke Road Bridge is a monument to the long-standing pride that our area has in local aviation history, as well as our collective appreciation for the role that the RAF has played.
Though we must now say goodbye to the historic structure and make way for a new bridge, the wartime stories of Winterstoke Road, the aeroplane factories and the iconic Bristol Beaufighter will live on in the pages of our rich local history.
Winterstoke Road Bridge closed to traffic at the end of November and the bridge will be demolished on Christmas Day during the seasonal railway closures.
Find out more about the bridge on our website.
You can also find out more about the history of your street, village or town, and explore historic maps going back further than 1840, by visiting our website.
Know Your Place is a free digital heritage mapping resource that's available to everyone. It provides unprecedented online access to a range of historic data. You can also add information about our local area to the community map.
You can also get regular updates about the history of our area by joining the Know Your Place North Somerset Facebook group.