Blackpool Bridge Repairs – at Waterloo Road

Blackpool Council will deliver an important programme of improvements to Waterloo Road bridge. This tranche of Blackpool bridge repairs will help to protect it for decades to come. 

Seasiders Way Road Closure

Seasiders Way is CLOSED from Tuesday 7 April until Friday 26 June 2026.

Essential structural repairs and repainting will take place on the bridge, which carries Waterloo Road over Seasiders Way. The work is essential to prevent corrosion, maintain structural integrity and ensure the route remains safe and reliable for road users and pedestrians.  

• To safely complete the works, Seasiders Way is closing between Parkinson Way and Bloomfield Road.
• Weather permitting, the closure is for approximately 12 weeks.
• Waterloo Road will remain open throughout the works. 

These essential upgrades will protect and improve the structure for the long term. Once complete, the improvements will: 

• Protect the steelwork through removal of old lead‑based paint and repainting with new coating system 
• Support the structural integrity through brickwork repairs 
• Improve safety, using upgraded barriers and clearer signage 
• Improve the pedestrian footbridge 

Blackpool Council has contracted Coating Services Ltd, a Northwest company, to deliver the work.

Two phases of works

The upgrade is being delivered in two phases. This will minimise disruption by avoiding the closure of both Seasiders Way and Waterloo Road simultaneously. It also means the road can be reopened ahead of the summer holidays. 

• Phase 1, Spring 2026: Lower bridge (closure of Seasiders Way) 
• Phase 2, Spring 2027: Upper bridge (closure of Waterloo Road) 

There are 26 bridges across Blackpool that are crucial to keeping people moving, and they have to be maintained. Completing this essential work means that this key route into Blackpool can be used for many years to come. 

The work is taking place outside of the summer holidays. By carrying out the work in Spring, using the correct materials in the right conditions, the lifespan of the bridge can be extended, reducing the need for future closures. These improvements are essential to ensure the long‑term safety and resilience of the bridge.

Earlier Blackpool Bridge Repairs

A significant programme of investment had already taken place in bridge repairs in Blackpool. The £11.3m project modernised a number of key bridges to ensure they remain safe for future use. The visual benefit of which is that they’re all now cleaner, brighter bridges.

Over a period of five years, ten bridges have received significant investment. The maintenance programme came in at a total cost of £11.365m with contributions from Blackpool Council, the Department for Transport’s Challenge Fund and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership Growth Fund. The aim of the works is to keep transport in Blackpool moving long into the future.

Yeadon Way

Yeadon Way closed to all traffic between 11 November 2019 and May 2020 for the final phase of improvement works. Work had already started the year before. Blackpool Council’s 10 year bridge improvement programme aimed to ensure the safety of all of Blackpool’s bridges, now and into the future.

Before the works, essential inspection had taken place in November 2018. Analysis of road samples determined the scope of future works.

The £3.3 million upgrade finished on schedule, reopening at the end of May 2020. The road connects the M55 with its town centre car and coach parks. This major road carries high volumes of traffic.

The key improvements include:

• Improvements to Road stability – With the original road replaced and resurfaced at weak points. Concrete columns and a reinforced earth wall installed underneath the road to strengthen the structure.
• Land drainage – Upgraded drains along the road improve capacity and protect from flooding.
• Street lighting – New, energy efficient, modern LED lighting replaced the old street lights.
• As this is a key route in and out of Blackpool, the road got a welcome makeover. Included the removal of overgrown vegetation and the installation of modern safety barriers.

A £2.3m grant awarded by the National Productivity Investment Fund paid for the works. Plus a contribution from Blackpool Council’s highways maintenance fund.

Previous Yeadon Way Works

A £3.6m programme of works completed in 2015 on Yeadon Way. This was to replace the section between St Anne’s Road and Hawes Side Lane. At the time, the council pledged to continue to seek funding to carry out further necessary works.

Devonshire Road Bridge

Following extensive bridge repairs, Devonshire Road fully reopened to two way traffic on Friday 24 August 2018 at around 1pm, three and a half weeks ahead of schedule.

Devonshire Road Bridge is the last bridge in a significant programme of investment which has seen a number of the town’s key bridges modernised as part of a £11.3m project to ensure they remain safe for future use. The visual benefit of which is that they’re all now cleaner, brighter bridges.

The bridge refurbishment work at Devonshire Road began on 4 June 2018. It involved repairing supporting steel beams that have corroded over the years and the walls have been clad with new red and white bricks to replace old weathered brickwork. The work has prolonged the life of the bridge for years to come.

Squires Gate Bridge

Squires Gate Bridge reopened after a four month replacement programme. The bridge reopened on 14 March 2018.

The £2.2m scheme included replacing corroded concrete and steel beams supporting the bridge to prolong its life for years to come. The work’s expected to give the bridge an extra 120 years of life.

The bridge replacement is part of a programme to fix ten of Blackpool’s bridges during the next five years at a total cost of £11.365m. Blackpool Council, the Department for Transport’s Challenge Fund and the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Fund are paying for the works.

More About Squires Gate Bridge Repairs

Essential work at Squires Gate Bridge began on Tuesday 7 November 2017 as part of Blackpool’s bridges improvement programme.

Work involved replacing the carriageway and supporting steel and concrete beams. Over time, the reinforced concrete beams and steel supports had become corroded. Replacing them ensures the bridge can remain open for years to come.

Harrowside Bridge

Harrowside bridge closed due to safety issues highlighted during an inspection. Due to serious deterioration, engineers have identified the bridge as a safety risk to the public. It closed to traffic Wednesday 26 July 2017, to work up a repair plan and carry out the works.

State of repair at Harrowside Bridge

Harrowside Bridge Blackpool, photo from Google maps

Pedestrians could still use the footpath during the closure and businesses on the bridge remained open as usual.

Checks revealed that steel reinforcements had corroded by 40%, meaning that essential repair work had to take place.

Waterloo Road Bridge

Essential repair work to Waterloo Road bridge began on Monday 3 July 2017. Work took place to strengthen the existing structure, lasting around six weeks.

Waterloo Road Bridge repairs, photo from Google maps

The maintenance work involved highway realignment over the bridge deck. The width of the carriageway over the bridge was reduced, to reduce the load on the edge beams under the footway.  A taxi rank and loading bay on the bridge deck were removed as a result of the highway realignment works.

The four-span bridge is said to have been constructed in the early twentieth century. Originally it supported the road over railway tracks which led to the old Blackpool Central Station.

Plymouth Road Bridge 

Like a number of Blackpool bridges, Plymouth Road Bridge (also known as Crossleys Bridge) was suffering from age. This bridge is adjacent to B&M/Aldi (the former B&Q) / Warbreck Hill / Mowbray Drive industrial estate area.

It’s one of the 10 bridges across the town to undergo significant investment over a period of five years. Plymouth Road Bridge reopened to drivers on Friday 7 April 2017 following a six month repair programme.

Crossleys Bridge in January 2017, photo by Steve Palmer

The second phase of the bridge repair programme saw it replaced with a stronger and higher alternative. It was raised in order for the railway line underneath to be electrified. Both schemes took place at the same time to minimise disruption. £1m of external funding for Plymouth Road bridge came from Network Rail in order to raise the height of the new bridge, enabling electrification works of the train line underneath.

As part of the £6.1m scheme, the corroded bridge deck was also replaced. The corrosion on the bridge was significantly high, with the chloride based corrosion of the concrete rated as being up to 6%, far above the recommended level of 0.3%.

The third phase of the bridge repair programme completed at the end of June 2017, ahead of schedule. It saw utilities from the temporary footbridge diverted back into the highway. Completing the final surface provided a much smoother surface for road users. With the final phase of engineering works complete, the eighty-year-old bridge reopened to two way traffic.

Princess Street Bridge

The rusty bridge at Princess Street, previously on the verge of being closed, was demolished and rebuilt in 2015/16.

Princess Street bridge carries Seasiders Way, and work began at the start of November 2015. After work to remove the existing surroundings, the new bridge was installed in early 2016.

As well as being in a decrepit state, the old bridge was also a hotspot for anti-social behaviour, with the dark corridor often complained about by local residents. As well as replacing the bridge, landscaping around the area provided stepped access from Princess Street on to Seasiders Way. Making the area brighter and safer for local residents.