The Farndon-Holt Bridge will open again for vehicles on Wednesday (10th October) following essential repair work.
The Grade I listed bridge and scheduled monument, which connects the village of Farndon to Holt, closed in July and repairs were originally estimated to take 14 weeks.
The bridge will now re-open around two weeks earlier than planned.
Cheshire West and Chester Council engineers had noticed that erosion of the bridge’s historic sandstone had increased significantly.
Rain water was also not draining away properly but seeping into the historic fabric of the bridge.
Although the bridge structure was strong and secure, some of the sandstone would eventually have worn away if action was not taken to improve the drainage system and repair the most damaged blocks.
As well as the road closure for vehicles throughout the repairs, 10 days of full closures were planned as part of the works, which would have meant no access for pedestrians or cyclists.
However, contractors managed to cut this down to just three days and on other occasions operated partial closures where pedestrian and cyclists were escorted over the bridge at regular intervals.
The council’s bridges team also liaised with Welsh Water, so their works on High Street in Farndon could be carried out at the same time as the bridge repairs to minimise disruption to the local community.
Cllr Karen Shore, CWAC cabinet member for environment, said: “We would like to thank everyone for their patience and support while these important repairs took place.
“The new bridge deck looks wonderful, due to successful cross-border partnerships not only between Cheshire West and Chester and Wrexham local authorities but also between public bodies responsible for protecting historic buildings and structures – Historic England and Cadw in Wales.”
Cllr Shore added: “This work is part of our 10-year maintenance plan for the bridge, to ensure it continues to stand proud across the river for many generations to come.”
