A multi-million pound project to future proof access to Castle Cornet gets underway this week.
From Monday 15 June, staff from Geomarine will be carrying out “essential preparatory work” on the Castle Bridge, ahead of its full reconstruction later this year.
That £7m project will start in September.
The main construction work is expected to take around nine months to complete.
The bridge will be closed to the public while the existing 95-metre concrete deck is demolished and a new structure is built in its place.
The preparatory work is expected to take up to eight weeks.
It will include drilling into the rubble core of the existing bridge piers and the injection of cement grout to solidify the core material of the piers.
These piers, which date back to the 1800s, are a key feature of the structure and will be retained as part of the like-for-like replacement of the bridge, said Project Manager, Joe Armstrong.
“These preparatory works are an important first stage of the Castle Bridge reconstruction. They are necessary to ensure the existing granite piers can be utilised as part of the new structure.
“We have carefully planned these works so that people can continue to access Castle Cornet and the Breakwater, providing they follow the safety signage and any temporary arrangements in place.”
The Castle Bridge, Castle Cornet, and access to the lighthouse will remain open to the public while the preparatory works are carried out, which is expected to take up to eight weeks.
There will be no access during the reconstruction work which will mainly take place during the Castle’s winter closure.
Public access underneath the bridge remains prohibited due to the risk of falling material caused by the ageing and deteriorating condition of the structure.
