Oxfordshire applies for £8 million to strengthen Donnington Bridge

en.Wedoany.com Reported - As of 7 August, Oxfordshire County Council has applied to the central government's structural fund for £8 million to carry out the Donnington Bridge strengthening project. The project has an estimated total investment of £10 million, with the remaining £2 million to be covered by the county council, and it is still at the funding application stage.

Donnington Bridge is a key component of Oxford's B4495 inner ring road and one of the few Thames road crossings within the city's ring road. In the summer of 2024, inspections revealed deterioration in the bridge's structural materials, prompting the authorities to impose a 7.5-tonne weight limit, with some buses and heavy goods vehicles required to divert. The proposed works will strengthen the bridge structure and restore its full load-bearing capacity.

The UK Department for Transport's structural fund opened for applications in April 2026 to support local authorities in repairing or replacing bridges, overpasses, and tunnels that they cannot afford to maintain independently. Funding decisions are expected to be announced in autumn 2026, and projects receiving support must be completed by March 2030.