Staffordshire County Council has applied for £40.358m from the Department for Transport’s Structures Fund to build a new bridge alongside Chetwynd Bridge near Alrewas.
The proposed £46.358m scheme would see the council contribute £6m. The new crossing would carry vehicles over the River Trent, while the existing Grade II* listed bridge would be converted for pedestrian and cycle use.
Cost estimate rises
The latest estimate is substantially higher than the figure previously given by the council. In April, a feasibility study put the project cost at about £27m. The funding application submitted on 3 August valued the scheme at £46.358m.
Planning permission was approved by Staffordshire County Council’s planning committee on 6 August 2026. The council’s Cabinet was due to consider the funding application and the steps required to deliver the scheme in October.
If the bid is successful, the new bridge is expected to open in late 2029, with DfT funding available from April 2027.
Protecting the historic crossing
Chetwynd Bridge carries the A513 across the Trent beside the National Memorial Arboretum. Staffordshire County Council describes it as the largest surviving pre-1830 cast-iron bridge in England.
The bridge currently has a 7.5-tonne weight restriction and a 2.3m width limit. A 20mph restriction was introduced in 2023 to reduce movement in the structure’s deck.
Councillor Peter Mason, Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Highways, said: “Chetwynd Bridge is an important route and a nationally significant heritage asset, so it is vital we take the right long-term approach.”
Council officers have warned that failure to secure funding could ultimately lead to the existing bridge being closed. Staffordshire County Council says it is responsible for more than 500 structures aged over 100 years, and that repairing them all at current funding levels would take more than 500 years.