The bridges and structures on the highways across Milton Keynes are inspected, maintained and repaired by the council. Highways structures includes over 300 underpasses, over 300 porte cocheres - the iconic covered walkways in CMK and retaining walls.
We look after over 763 bridges across Milton Keynes from small footbridges connecting redway links over streams and brooks, to the large concrete and suspension bridges carrying traffic on dual carriageways. The bridge over the V6 Grafton Street near Bradwell is also an aqueduct for the Grand Union Canal.
Refurbishment Works for 2024
Bridge Maintenance – H10 Bletcham Way Canal Bridge, Mount Farm
Starting from 2 March 2024, we'll be carrying out repairs to this bridge including drainage, waterproofing and resurfacing on the bridge over the canal. This work is essential to extend the life of the structure by preventing leakage through the bridge deck that can damage the supporting beams and bridge supports.
The work should take around 16 weeks to complete and will be done in phases. We'll need to temporarily close some sections of H10 Bletcham Way to create a safe working site. In April we will need to close Simpson Road under the bridge for around two weeks.
Details of all the closures may be viewed on one.network
Bradwell Abbey Railway Walkway Footbridge
We'll be carrying out works on this bridge throughout March to install new support beams, remove old timber supports and replace the posts and rails.
During this time the footway will be diverted. The work should take around 3 weeks to complete.
Historical bridges
There are two bridges within the MK Borough that have historical significance and are listed as Grade I Ancient Scheduled Monuments. This means that any repairs or maintenance must be planned, approved and regularly inspected by Historic England and other bodies. Specific materials, techniques and even exact paint colours must be used with these bridges which means using specialist engineers and equipment.
The two bridges are:
Tickford Bridge, Newport Pagnell which was built in 1810 and is one of the last cast iron bridges in Britain in use today that carries traffic the 17 metres over the River Ouzel in Newport Pagnell.
Tyringham Bridge was designed and built in 1793 by Sir John Soane who designed the nearby Tyringham House.
Porte Cocheres
There are over 300 porte cocheres in CMK which are part of the original Milton Keynes city centre design. We regularly inspect all these structures to check for any defects. Porte cocheres means 'coach gateway' and these provide a covered walkway for pedestrians who are moving around the city centre. All porte cocheres are painted black.
To find out more about porte cocheres in MK, watch our short video on our YouTube channel.
Underpasses
There are over 300 underpasses across MK, connecting the residential and industrial area through the redway network. Underpasses allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross a grid road. If you need to report an issue with an underpass such as lights out or graffiti, please use the Report it form or call 01908 252353.