Garnier Road reopens following replacement of the Tunbridge

Garnier Road has reopened to all traffic following a £1.4m scheme by Hampshire County Council to replace Tunbridge – a bridge that spans the Itchen Navigation.

The road has remained open to pedestrians and cyclists whilst construction of the new bridge was underway with other vehicles diverted.

The Tunbridge (Image: Hampshire County Council)

READ MORE: Garnier Road on track to re-open this month following 100-year-old bridge repairs

Cllr Nick Adams-King, the county council’s cabinet member for universal services, said: “I’m pleased to confirm that work to refurbish Tunbridge has been completed allowing us to now reopen Garnier Road to all vehicles.

“The new bridge provides a structure that has a lifespan of 120 years and which meets modern traffic carrying standards.

“I appreciate that the scheme has caused some local disruption, and I would like to thank people once more for their patience whilst the construction work was underway. This was a complex engineering challenge not least due to the presence of numerous utility cables that were embedded within the bridge.

“With the main element of the project now finished, our team will remain on-site for a short while longer finalising other elements of the scheme such as improving the footpaths.”

The work on the bridge began last March and has seen the road and top section of the bridge be replaced.

Several ecological measures have been added to the bridge to safeguard wildlife, including bat roosts and swallow nest cups. New safety fencing has also been provided alongside a new highway drainage system to reduce the risk of flooding on Garnier Road.

Several new ecological measures have been installed (Image: Hampshire County Council)

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One of the businesses impacted by the closure of Garnier Road was the Handlebar Café. As previously reported, the café lost £10,000 in the first three months of the closure and faced further disruption by the works.

Heather Evans, the director of Bespoke Biking CIC, which operates the Handlebar Café, told the Chronicle: “We are really delighted the road has reopened and that they managed to do it in February – there was a rumour it was going to be the first of March!

“It has been nearly a year, and it has had a massive impact, but the community has really supported us.

“I think it will help traffic around Winchester, so it is good news. I don’t think we realised how much people liked just driving down and popping in, and so if they can’t just drive by they don’t like to walk in. We’ve been alright at weekends, especially when the sun shines, but we have noticed it during the week so we’re very happy the road has reopened.”