Funding bid for essential bridge repairs

Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve an application to the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund, seeking up to £37.3 million of grant funding to enable remedial works to Nicholas Street Viaduct in Chester and Winsford Station bridge.

The Department for Transport Structures Fund was launched in April 2026 to support the repair, strengthening and replacement of existing local highway structures, including bridges, tunnels, flyovers and associated assets. Funding criteria allows for one scheme to be proposed, and in exceptional circumstances a second scheme can also be submitted.

Funding decisions are expected to be announced in Autumn 2026. Successful schemes will be required to complete all funded works by March 2030

Nicholas Street Viaduct is a 300m long viaduct built in 1966. The post-tensioned viaduct carries the Chester inner ring road and spans over land, the Holyhead-Crewe rail mainline and the Shropshire Union canal.

Viaduct inspections have revealed that without timely intervention, the structure is highly likely to become subject to significant traffic restrictions, with a risk of full closure by 2030. The application will stress that closure of the bridge would necessitate concurrent closure of the railway and canal corridors below, magnifying the wider impacts.

Winsford Station Bridge is a four span bridge built in 1960, carrying the Middlewich Road (A54) over two electrified tracks of the West Coast Main Line and Winsford Railway Station. ​

This bridge is proposed as an exceptional case justifying a second submission due to its current condition, significance, potential impact on traffic and national rail network.

Following recent investigations, the Council is not allowing special order abnormal loads over the bridge. This bridge is the main diversion route for the M6 at Junction 18 and the main route for abnormal special order vehicles, both heavy and high load (up to 600 tonnes).

The inspections are progressing on the top of the bridge with lane closures in July.

Councillor Karen Shore, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways (including Waste) explained:

“We manage and maintain many highways structures. The new government Structures Fund from the DfT has been set up for exactly the issues we have identified and we are pleased to have this opportunity to bid for this much needed funding.

“Both Nicholas Street Viaduct and Winsford Station bridge have been highlighted as the highest risk Council owned structures in need of major maintenance. In February 2025, we allocated an increased capital budget to allow detailed inspections to be carried out on these structures.”

If successful, this bid will require the Council to match fund the investment with up to £4.13 million of Council resources that have been set aside for this purpose in the capital programme.