Victorian-era bridge to be removed and replaced in major operation that will help maintain a safe and reliable railway for decades to come
Network Rail is to replace the Victorian-era railway bridge at Selhurst Road over the Christmas and New Year period as part of a major investment to maintain a safe and reliable railway for rail passengers and freight customers.
The replacement of the 1861-built bridge is a significant engineering project that will help ensure this important section of railway remains safe, resilient and reliable while reducing the need for additional future maintenance.
So that engineers can carry out the work safely, road closures will be in place to complete the work between 27 December and 2 January, with the new bridge being assembled on site.
Lucy McAuliffe, Sussex route director for Network Rail, said: “We have carried out multiple repairs to the Selhurst Road railway bridge, but it has now reached the end of its serviceable life and needs to be replaced. We will assemble the new bridge on site and then move it into place between 27 December and 2 January.
“We recognise the impact the works will have on residents, businesses, road users and our customers and apologise for the inconvenience caused. Wherever possible, we will minimise noise and disturbance and will provide advance notice of particularly disruptive activities.
“I would like to apologise to local residents and businesses for the disruption caused by this closure but we really do need to do this work at a time of year when we will cause the least inconvenience to people, especially as there are fewer people travelling to work during the holiday season.”
To safely carry out this essential work, Selhurst Road beneath the railway bridge will be fully closed to vehicles and pedestrians from 08:00 on Saturday 12 December 2026 until 17:00 on Sunday 10 January 2027. Edith Road will also be closed to vehicles during this period; however, pedestrian access will be maintained.
There will be no vehicle or pedestrian access beneath the bridge while the closure is in place, but pedestrian access on either side of the bridge will always be available.
Engineers will remove the existing bridge and install a new structure using specialist Self-Propelled Modular Transporters (SPMTs), remotely controlled vehicles that are designed to move extremely heavy structures safely and precisely.
Image credit: Network Rail
