The 98-year-old structure was infilled after the government agency claimed it was at risk of collapse. But furious locals claim the work in Congham, Norfolk, has wrecked a heritage asset.
'Corporate vandalism' was committed by National Highways when it poured hundreds of tonnes of concrete under a historic railway bridge, a Planning Inquiry heard today.
Among the 363 objections to the infilling in Congham – compared to just five people in favour – was a statement from Lindsay Beare, who said: 'Immediate removal of the infill must be made, irrespective of cost. The bridge was built in 1926 to the design of Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway's pioneering engineer William Marriott and is a rare survivor of crossings made from precast concrete components.
On the first day of the four-day hearing in King's Lynn today, Martin Carter, representing National Highways, said steel girders in the bridge began to fracture in 1994. Infilling had allowed the weight limit for vehicles to be increased to 40 tonnes.
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