BARNSLEY Council bosses are hoping to finally appoint a contractor to complete work on a bridge on the Trans Pennine Trail which has been closed for more than two years.
Bullhouse Bridge, which carries the Trans Pennine Trail across the A628 at Millhouse Green, was closed to the public in May 2022 after inspectors uncovered a rotten deck.
Government cash - totalling £150,000 - was secured last year which locals hoped would fast-track the fitment of a new deck to replace the current one, which is unsafe to carry weight on the popular route.
Despite the council putting the contract out to tender - which saw several firms lodge their initial interest - nobody bid to take on the ‘specialist’ work.
A 12-month extension for the closure was granted earlier this year and the second round of tendering was closed last week.
It’s hoped that a contractor will be appointed so work can begin in the near future.
Dr Marie Tidball, MP for Penistone and Stocksbridge, has been working with her constituents to find a solution.
She subsequently wrote to Coun James Higginbottom for an update on the situation - and both admit the wait has been ‘frustrating’ but hope things will now move forward.
He said: “This has been a very long-running matter that the council has been working hard to resolve as quickly as possible on behalf of residents and TPT users to get the bridge reopened.
“We are currently in the process of a second round of tendering to appoint a contractor to undertake the works, after the first round of tenders did not yield any formal applications.
“The current tender process closed on August 23 at which point any tenders received will be reviewed and hopefully a suitable contractor appointed.
“The difficulty in finding a suitable contractor is primarily due to the highly specialised nature of the works required and a relatively small field of companies willing and able to undertake this type of work.
“We hope that the second round of tendering will yield a suitable contractor and we can progress the repairs to the bridge as quickly as possible thereafter.
“This is by no means a position that is unique to Bullhouse or Barnsley - nationally there is a shortage of qualified specialist engineers in this field, so in terms of your kind offer of assistance.
Ms Tidball also raised residents’ concerns regarding the safety of the current diversion across Manchester Road, which had its 60mph limit reduced to 40mph as a result of the bridge’s closure.
Coun Higginbottom added: “In terms of the diversion, I will ask officers to review the current position and see if there are viable alternatives however given the challenging nature of the location when it comes to pedestrian movements it may well be that there aren’t any suitable alternative routes.
“I appreciate how frustrating this is for local residents and entirely share that frustration.”
