'A Bridge Too Far' or 'Vandalism Vanquished' - National Highways Forced to Abandon Historic Rail and Canal Bridge and Tunnel Infill Plans
Sometime in 2020 someone in Highways England (as it then was), the government roads authority which manages more than 3,200 disused railway and canal structures on behalf of the Department for Transport, had the bright idea of saving money on maintenance - by filling them all in where they pass under roads! A plan to put 134 bridges and tunnels beyond future use was revealed in January 2021, using the simple expedient of ramming under them or into them, soil, gravel, hardcore, aggregate or any suitable rubbish lying around to hand and covering the sides or entrances with concrete. Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of aggregate and concrete would have been required. These thoughtless plans would have cut many disused railway or canal routes, some of which could possibly be reopened or used as wayleaves for fibre, electricity, water or other forms of distribution infrastructure. A great many are still in current use as footpaths, cycle routes, farm tracks or as wildlife corridors.
