Ulverscroft Bridge
Once part of the Marefield Junction to Leicester Belgrave Road, the bridge opened to rail traffic at the same time as Belgrave Road station in 1882 and was used primarily to transport iron ore.
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Location: Ulverscroft Road, Leicester
Status: Works starting January 2025
History
Leicester Belgrave Road was the Great Northern Railway terminus in Leicester, England. The main services were to Peterborough and Grantham. The line closed in 1962 and the area has changed significantly since then.
(Bridge in use before the railway line’s closure and removal (south view))
About the structure
The area under the bridge, where the railway line used to run, is now used by a scrap metal yard. During examinations we’ve noted deterioration in the floor plates of the deck and, while emergency works delivered in May 2022 have helped, a longer term, more permanent solution is needed.
The metallic span of the bridge marginally passed its BE4 assessment in 2009 and, almost thirteen years later, our inspections show that its condition has worsened. Following discussions with Leicester City Council a temporary weight restriction of 3 Tonnes was installed at the bridge.
(Bridge photographed in March 2023 opposite a metal scrap yard (south view))
What is the project?
Infill of one of the bridge’s two spans as well as any other preliminary work required such as vegetation removal before main work begins.
(Artistic impression of bridge before infill)
(Artistic impression of bridge after infill)
What stage is it at?
The future of the structure was discussed through our Stakeholder Advisory Forum (SAF). The Secretary of State for Transport approved our recommendation to seek planning permission to infill one of the bridge’s spans.
We submitted an application to Leicester City Council, which was approved in September 2024. The work is due to start in January 2025.
We'll update this page with any future milestones.
