Road lowering at 'most bashed' bridge set to start

Long-awaited work to try to prevent lorries striking a low bridge dubbed "Britain's most bashed" is to start in the summer.

Developers have confirmed plans to lower the carriageway of the A5 Watling Street, near Hinckley in Leicestershire, under the railway bridge.

Network Rail figures have shown the bridge was struck 22 times between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025, confirming its status as the most bashed bridge in the country.

A temporary traffic regulation order, published on Wednesday, said the road lowering would be part of a wider series of highways works set to start on 5 May and take up to a year.

Hinckley and Bosworth MP Luke Evans said he had been told the road lowering would take place in the summer holidays over a two-week period.

The road lowering plan was approved when permission was granted for a large logistics park near the bridge in June 2023.

Developer Mountpark said it would fund the project.

The firm's senior development director Tom Kilmister said the order had been agreed with National Highways.

"The schedule of works includes delivery of the new signal-controlled site access, upgrades to Dodwells Roundabout, enhanced pedestrian and cycle connectivity, and the lowering of the A5 carriageway beneath the railway bridge," Kilmister said.

"By addressing this long-standing bottleneck, Mountpark will deliver lasting improvements to safety, reducing disruption and improve reliability for the local community and the wider road network."

Kilmister said the firm was working closely with Network Rail, National Highways and Leicestershire County Council highways bosses on the scheme.

Under the proposed works, a 40mph speed limit will be imposed on the A5 between its junctions at Hammonds Way and Dodwells Road.

The traffic order allows the contractors to close the road overnight between 20:00 and 06:00 over periods while undertaking work.

Project manager Craig Tiernan told the BBC the road lowering would take place "over the summer" with the exact dates to be confirmed.

The road is a major trunk route and diversions will be put in place to send traffic down the M69, M6 and M42.

Evans said he understood the road would be closed "over a short period of a couple of weeks during the summer holidays" to allow the works to be carried out.

"Our area has been waiting for so long to get the issue of the Watling Street bridge sorted.

"There will be disruption while these works take place, but I'm sure we can all agree that sorting this bridge is long overdue.

"This is short-term pain for long-term gain."

A National Highways spokesperson said: "National Highways has received notification of some initial preparation works to start this spring. However, we do not yet have any details of when the main works will start.

"This will need to be confirmed by the developer Mountpark."

Under planning conditions agreed with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Mountpark has said it would lower the road before it starts operating its new warehouse complex.

However, the firm has submitted planning documents saying the highways improvements are forecast to be complete by March 2027.

It has applied to vary the condition to allow Tesco to start using a unit at its new complex from September 2026.

The supermarket giant is set to relocate from its nearby distribution centre in Dowells Road.

County councillor for the area Ann Pendlebury said: "It's good news they are committing to the bridge work.

"But I think it would be unwise to let them change the planning conditions. There's an agreement and it should be stuck with."

Kilmister said the recent application "seeks to allow Tesco, the occupier of Unit 1 at Mountpark Hinckley, to continue progressing towards its occupation from September 2026 whilst working around the sequencing of the highway works."

He added: "Once Tesco relocates, the existing Dodwells Road facility will become vacant.

"As a result, there will be no material increase in traffic flows on the local road network in the short term.

"Tesco's existing operations are currently not impacted by the low railway bridge on the A5, meaning there is no increased risk of bridge strikes arising from the phased occupation."

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