Wootton Bridge is an original two-span brick arch with a sluice gate below, that supports the main Newport to Ryde road – one of the busiest and most strategically important sections of highways on the Island.

Following assessment early on in the PFI, both the parapets and main structure were found to be substandard and given the identification of visible defects on the arches, swift – and lasting – intervention was required. There was also the need to design and deliver a scheme that was in keeping with the character of the village of Wootton.

Given the importance of this section – it serves the Island’s busiest car ferry port – the Island Roads structures team first designed and implemented a temporary solution. By laying additional road surfacing material and lowering the speed and weight limit, it was possible to keep the bridge open. In the meantime, work to strengthen the masonry arches and rebuild the parapets to modern safety requirements was designed, approved and delivered.

Beneath the bridge: sluice gate	Wootton Bridge before strengthening and safety works
During the works	Completed works