Repairs to River Arun Clympwick Bridge could cost millions

Clympwick Bridge over the River Arun <i>(Image: Google)</i>
Clympwick Bridge over the River Arun (Image: Google)
This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald.

Repairs to a 'vital' road bridge could cost several millions of pounds.

Clympwick Bridge, which carries the A259 over the River Arun in West Sussex, connects towns including Littlehampton and Bognor Regis and sees thousands of daily journeys.

Despite the bridge currently being declared safe, concerns about its long-term condition have prompted calls for a permanent solution to safeguard its future use.

Alison Griffiths, MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton, has now written to the Secretary of State for Transport to set out her concerns and support efforts to fund the work, which could amount to an estimated £15 million. 

West Sussex County Council has applied for the funding from the government's Structure Fund, which is designed to help local councils repair and upgrade critical highways infrastructure. 

In her letter, Ms Griffiths said: "While the bridge currently performs within acceptable safety parameters, its condition presents a growing risk to its serviceability.

"Due to the Concrete Half-Joint Deck structure of the bridge, which is known nationally to have inherent vulnerabilities, there is a risk of sudden and serious failure. 

"Timely intervention is therefore required to prevent structural deterioration."

She added: "Clympwick Bridge plays a central role in the regional road network and carries the sole crossing of the River Arun in my constituency.

"It is vital for local residents and businesses that the correct decision is made."

In her letter, Ms Griffiths also suggested that other solutions could be explored to fund the repairs, such as incorporating the bridge into the Major Road Network.

She has also tabled several Written Parliamentary Questions to seek information on wider funding options, network resilience, and how the project may interact with other planned schemes.

Get involved
with the news

Send your news & photos