Work to tear down and replace four bridges between Leytonstone High Road and Wanstead Park will begin in September, reports Marco Marcelline
A project to replace 130-year-old bridges carrying Suffragette Line trains between Leytonstone High Road and Wanstead Park will begin later this summer.
Network Rail will be replacing the following bridges: Talbot Road (E7 0DX), Strode Road (E7 0DU, Stracey Road (E7 0HG), and Latimer Road (E7 0LH).
Announcing the project, Network Rail said: “The old bridges are monitored closely to check they are safe, but they are 130 years old and need to be replaced to avoid unplanned disruption and keep everyone moving reliably in the future. The new bridges are expected to last until around the year 2150.”
All the bridges are on the London Overground Suffragette Line, between Leytonstone High Road and Woodgrange Park stations.
Work will begin at the Talbot Road and Stracey Road bridges on Tuesday, 1st September, with engineers starting on site at Strode Road and Latimer Road on Monday, 28th September. The road and pavement will be closed under each bridge throughout the project, with other road closures in the area being needed for shorter periods during 2027.
Residents and businesses have been sent letters advising them about the works, and public drop-in sessions are planned in August so people can meet the project team and ask any questions.
These sessions will be held at the Forest Gate Learning Zone on the following dates: Thursday 6th August, 10.30am to 1.30pm, and Wednesday 12th August, 5pm to 7.30pm.
Network Rail says further updates will be provided as the works progress, with additional drop-in sessions also being arranged in the coming months.
The project to replace the bridges is being delivered by Network Rail’s contractor, BAM.
Joe Kennedy, infrastructure director for Network Rail Anglia, said: “Thousands of people travel over these old bridges every day by train, passing through residential areas in east London.
“Our project will deliver four brand new bridges that will serve the surrounding community and rail passengers for several generations. We’re really sorry for the disruption and we’ll work very closely with residents and businesses to keep the impact to a minimum while we get the job done.”
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